Slashdot Mirror
Instant Messaging Giveaway
An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft is planning on giving away $1000/hr randomly to users of the new MSN messenger. They are going to send instant messages to the winners. I can just see it now, 'You've won $1000 in the MSN Messenger giveaway, just go this website and enter your SS# and credit card info for verification.'" Where's Ed McMahon with the big check when you need him?
Big deal, Bill Gates has been paying me $200 for every email I send for years...
It says specifically only MSN client software. I guess I won't be winning.
RMS is giving out handjobs to all GNU/linux users.
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Now all the need is a chat bot, like SmarterChild on AOL AIM, and I am set making my $1000/hr.
Till the Liberian banks pay off
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
Does that mean all the e-mail I got about Bill Gates donating a dollar for every time I resent the message were true, too?!
And who's going to believe it? With Vmyths gone, I can't check it out anymore.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
Though, somewhat suspiciously, I haven't yet been paid that $5 for every person I forwarded it to...
"Ask not what your country can do for you." --John F. Kennedy
...Microsoft pays you.
Everything I say is a lie...
Read subject
Therefore 1% of slashdotters will care.
Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
'You've won $1000 in the MSN Messenger giveaway, just go this website and enter your SS# and credit card info for verification.'
Fusking spam again! *delete*
--
For a limited time, we are giving away a custom built wedge for FREE!
At first something other than golf clubs flash by my filthy mind...
Do I have to use their client? Or will Trillian still suffice? ;)
.... Oh shit... now I get it... [ Frantically uninstalls MSN from system ]
Seriously though, what the hell is with giving away money for using their network? I mean they already get to keep ANY and ALL IP that is transmitted over MSN Messenger, why would they need to get people to use their servers instead of
---
Programming is like sex... Make one mistake and support it the rest of your life.
To qualify, people must fill out contest entries and upgrade to MSN Messenger 6.0. They also must be logged in to the service and agree to use only Microsoft's Quality products for the rest of their natural lifetime. Any use of non-autorized "Open Source Software" will result in an immediate fine of $100,000.
Most giveaways are explicitly required to have rules that allow people to be eligible to win without purchasing a product. If such a rule applies to this contest, they'll have to have a way for people to enter without purchasing Windows, won't they?
The requested URL
... is better with the butterfly. Who knew? ;)
Ok, they need your credit card number why? Of course they wouldn't get my SSN# out of me either.
would the AIM text read "you've got cash!"?
ed
It's sad actually -- that this is Microsoft's "biggest giveaway" to date. Why don't they at least do something SERIOUS like take a mere 1/2 billion and give away $1,000 to 1,000 people (a cool 1 million weekly)...and run THAT promotion for the next 9.61 years.
Yeah -- they have THAT MUCH money and STILL Windows is what it is.
Interesting how they all live at different addresses...
Karma: Food Fight (Mostly affected by Date Plate).
That's 'Niger'. There is a slight difference.
- "Scientia non habet inimicum nisp ignorantem"
..since most of the people that use MSN Messenger don't care a lot about security, generally speaking of course and exceptions etc., they will be all over the MS download page because of this.
"OMFG; a thousand dollar for upgrading!!!"
Melius mori in libertate quam vivere in servitute.
I've always claimed that I wouldn't use Microsoft products if you paid me. This changes nothing.
But seriously, wouldn't this normally set off red flags in the antitrust department (if it wasn't gutted)? Paying people to use your product as a method of moving into a new market sounds a little dicey coming from someone like Microsoft. Normally I'd have nothing against this kind of gimmick, but it seems rather sleazy compared to Microsoft's normal tactic of assaulting me with MSN ads and breaking competing products.
I swear it's true! Microsoft (Bill Gates, actually) has already paid me just to send email! And last year I won a free trip to Disney just by looking at their website!
Have fun: Join D.N.A. (National Dyslexics Association)
This story should have been submitted with the 'foot' icon! I would have to have gone crazy to do all of the following:
1) Use Microsoft Messenger
2) Trust an anonymous source IM'ing me with a "You just won $1000! Please go to http://www.microsoft.messenger.winner.com/ to claim it! (We must have all your info to claim the prize, btw)"
3) Actually follow said spam message to the site (We all know that just clicking on a malicious website and letting ActiveX controls and other such nonsense run in the background in IE is BEGGING for a complete computer hijacking)
Oh wait, Microsoft must be testing out a new business plan:
10 Spam
20 Collect more email addresses
30 Spam some more!
40 ?
50 GOTO 40
60 Profit!
... we're SICKIN TIRED of all these "... in soviet russia.." jokes!
GAAH! MY PRINTER IS ON FIRE!!! PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!
If you're worried about your monopoly, just pay people to use your service. I mean, COME ON!
Also, it is my understanding that random contests such as this must be open to EVERYONE (i.e. the 'no purcase necessary' that you always hear). Does this qualify as being open to everyone? Not everyone owns a computer ...
So it means I am not supposed to enter my ssn and cc info...aaaahhh.. Its a trick is'nt it...
duh?
So when will the plugin be available for GAIM?
This is a test. This is a test of the emergency sig system. This has been only a test.
Dude, the part about SS# and credit card was a joke, and an obvious one at that. RTFA. You take Slashdot editors words to be the truth about Microsoft? Sad.
I guess Billy's got so much money he really doesn't know what to do with it, so he's going to give it away. How nice of him.
When you don't have a leg to stand on, don't even get up.
YOU escape your sense of humor!
Drug dealer gives away free samples at street corner. News at 11.
there's no place like ~
What a bunch of trolls!
And they think they can put me on MSN messenger...?
We'll see how many security holes people will find in this version of MSN messenger.
And you need the newest version that just came out yesterday.
Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
1) sign up for thousands of msn accounts & have them all running waiting for message
2) ???
3) profit!
seriously though, what's stops you from doing this?
tho im too lazy someone else can do it hah
-judging another only defines yourself
Either that or i was dreaming last night..
---- Booth was a patriot ----
And of course, agree to a new draconian EULA.
I've not installed MS latest service pack quite simply because of it's EULA (copied from Media Player 9.0 EULA).
I know it *sounds* like BS, but it looks like it really really IS BS. I see cnn says its true, but microsoft says nothing about it. Your not automatically entered either, according to cnn you fill out a form to enter then download/install. There is nothing about this one the msn website.
Or am I being trolled by cnn and this is meant to be a joke?
...is any indication it will more likely say:
"U have just won! 2 claim your prize forward this message 2 *everyone* in your contact list!
This is 4 real, no joke. If u don't do this MSN will stop being free!!"
Music wants to be free.
just go this website and enter your SS# and credit card info for verification.
...
So basically, all loyal Microsoft users who happen to not be American citizens or residents are told that they just don't matter
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
The site is here http://www4.msnmessenger-download.com/fastcash/def ault.aspx
In America we are imprisoned by our fear of them.
If you sign up now, you might win $1,000. Not only that, but you might win part of the class action law suit filed by some hot shot lawyer on behalf of the participants because of some technicality. It could pan out.
A programmer is a machine for converting coffee into code.
How can they tell if you are using MSN 6.0, unless you are using MSN 5.0? What I mean is, if I make my own client, I can have it appear to be 6.0, like browsers like Opera do.
I wonder what address we can send a SASE to for a no purchase necessary entry into the contest. (aka without purchasing msn **AND** windows 98+)
where it says Microsoft is obligated to give you any chance of winning money? I for one am appreciative of the chance. When is trillian or gaim going to randomly kick back some dough to its users?
Is it just me, or does the idea of sending your credit card and ss number to M$ sound like a really bad idea. If you actually win something, then that's a different matter since you need a 1099 form for tax purposes. But otherwise, fuhggehdaboutit. MSN sux anyway.
When all else fails, run.
OMFG!!!!111 It must be t3h men in black! America am Coprorate zealot pigz! OMGOMGOMG!!! Death to America!!!!111111
In other words, screw off and keep it on topic.
- "Scientia non habet inimicum nisp ignorantem"
No, it can't be, it's flawed... 60 Profit! can never be reached!
40 GOTO 60
TodayTM BillyJoelTM GoogleTMd for StitchTMes due to WindowsTM while RollerbladeTMing with an AppleTM and a PopsicleTM
That makes sense. Run a contest during business hours to encourage people to chat with each other instead of... getting work done. The majority of the winners will be housewives, stay-at-home-for-the-summer kids, and whoever else can run the software through their firewalls...
Sorry...The promotion applies only to MSN users, not aolers
Warning: Opinions known to be heavily biased.
So did they fix the bug where it insists on popping up an alert when you get hotmail even if you have that turned off? I can't stand it when I'm playing Battlefield 1942 and it sends my fps to 10 by doing so.
It's also very bloated compared to Windows Messenger, about 4x memory consumption and 6x loading time.
So all I have to do to win the Microsoft Lottery is sell my soul? Sign me up!! "There's no such thing as a soul. It's just something they made up to scare kids, like the boogieman or Michael Jackson"
In Germany a company cannot hold up a lottery where only users of it's product can participate.
So if for example Coca-Cola puts some random numbers on the inside of their bottles and makes some kind of lottery of it, it must provide the same winnning chance to people who just call in though they haven't bougth the product (and not obtained a number).
So Microsoft would need to provide the same chance for getting the bucks to everyone who's using another IM as well.
Don't know how it's handled in other countries, but I think it's like that in many European countries.
---------
just go this website and enter your SS# and credit card info for verification.
Will they also pay for the eventual identity theft, loss of credit rating, enormous bills, and other costs associated with their shitty security?
..No mention of it ANYWHERE on their site.
I smell a hoax - and CNN fell for it.
Also, no where does the article say anything about having to give your SSN and CC#, nor do they provide a link to any such site. Anyone duped into providing this information is a fool.
Everyone needs to RTFA before commenting, really.
Cruising the internet on my TI-99/4A @ a whopping 300 baud!
Well... This is all in MS strategy: why spam when someone else can spam for you instead?
Of Code And Men
Even in today's Russia people(!) don't pay Microsoft.
can not upgraded their M$ stock to start seeing some of the $49 Billion in cash reserves as dividends?
And if ya think about it, this has got to torque a few of them off. Can pitch out thousands to some numb-nuts but for the faithful investors, they get to kiss Bill's arse.
-- Knowing too much can get you killed, but knowing who knows too much can make you rich.
If Microsoft will actually do this, I predict there'll be tons of "forward to ten people and get a reward" spam... Who would risk it /not/ being a hoax?
Sounds like a trial run of a marketing/publicity stunt. Next thing you know, they're selling IM "pop-up ads" to companies in blocks. It'll be the next "feature" of IM. When rolled out, everyone's permission setting, buried somewhere deep in the settings, will be "I want IM ads." Then, when enough people get completely annoyed by it and complain, Microsoft will "apologize" but only after seeing how long they can stretch it out...all the while raking in cash.
IM "spam" is going to be the next big headache...and of course, the knee-jerk reaction will be to pass more laws.
"Those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither!"
If you read below you will see the note from Walt Disney Jr. &
Management at Disney World. Basically if this messages reaches
13,000 people, everyone will receive $5,000.00 or a free, all
expenses paid, trip to Disney >World in anytime during the summer
of 1999.
See the note below - its worth it!!!!
Everyone is to resend to 15 individuals. Please read and forward
to as many friends as possible...we've checked up on this and this
is no joke of a chain letter or something if this reaches 13,000
people...duplicate entries don't count, though...So, please help &
pass on... thank you, and here you go!!!
WALT DISNEY JR.
GREETING
Hello Disney fans,
And thank you for signing up for Bill Gates' Beta Email Tracking
My name is Walt Disney Jr. Here at Disney we are working with
Microsoft which has just compiled an e-mail tracing program that
tracks everyone to whom this message is forwarded to. It does
this through an unique IP (Internet Protocol) address log book
database. We are experimenting with this and need your help.
Forward this to everyone > you know and if it reaches 13,000
people, 1,300 of the people on the list will receive $5,000, and
the rest will receive a free trip for two to Disney World for one
week during the summer of 1999 at our expense. Enjoy.
Note: Duplicate entries will not be counted. You will be notified
by email with further instructions once this email has reached
13,000 people.
Your friends,
Walt Disney Jr., Disney, Bill Gates, & The Microsoft
Development Team.
I've always said it, Microsoft would have to pay me before I used their crap. Now it looks like they've finally caved.
Im dreaming ofa big bndwdth, That can resist the
such comments would have gotten you shot you insensitive clod!
-- Knowing too much can get you killed, but knowing who knows too much can make you rich.
I hate it when trolls try disinformation. Fucking cry wolf, will ya?
Someone needs to hack MSN Messenger (that should take about 3 minutes given Microsoft's record), then send these messages to say 100,000 users at a time.
Let's see Microsoft pay $1,000 each to hundreds of thousands of angry customers... or weasel out of it.
I think that a move of giving users money in a random lottery fashion for using a free service is... well... making Standard Oil look competitor friendly. If anybody wants to make a good case against M$ for continuing monopolistic practices after the judgement, this would be a great corner stone. They're losing money for something that can't really generate a profit for them except by holding people who want to communicate with each other to Windows by means of market share and software control.
SIG: HUP
" I guess Billy's got so much money he really doesn't know what to do with it, so he's going to give it away. How nice of him."
How about paying it in stock dividends?
I downloaded an early version of the MSN Messenger client years ago and archived it. I still use that version, which is now four years or more old. I get nagged once a week to 'upgrade' it but I always refuse. It's a fine basic Messenger and it does everything I want. I'm not interested in running anything .NET on my machine unless absolutely necessary.
So I'm probably not eligible for the contest, huh?
After the best buy MSN computer giveaways, and the whole thing with the pricing on the x-box, i was cynically oberving that it wasn't enough to just develop the product for free like with MSIE, Microsoft had to actually essentially pay people to continue using their product.
Now Microsoft is literally paying people to continue using their product.
Well.. it's a good solution to the chicken and egg problem, and I guess that's been MS's mindset all along. Users are something you can buy; you spend money to get users, and then once you have them locked in, you can charge whatever you like from them.
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
It sounds fishy.. Sounds like they have some sort of spyware in the new version that is going to check everyone's computer that enters and see if they have a valid copy of Winblows. Anyone find out anything about the new EULA for this version of MSN? Hell, if you want to enter the contest, I am sure you have to give your REAL idnet so if you win they can pay you. I think that anyone that enters this thing should make sure that they don't have a pirated copy of ANYTHING on there box. Too risky.. Personaly, I know people with pirated stuff on their box that is worth more than the prize money...
"Sex is a very natural and wholsome thing, but only if it isn't done right." Welcome To Paradox
After loosing Munich to IBM/SuSE, Microsoft decided to change their business plan. In the past if MS wanted to get rid of competition they could buy them out, but since Linux cant be bought out they've got no choice but to under cut em. Unfortunatly for them, the only thing cheaper than free is to be paid to use it. Looks lile I'll be installing windows again waiting for my check to come in the mail. You knew thats what XP activation was for, right?
Sorry Linux, you just cant compete with that.
Im dreaming ofa big bndwdth, That can resist the
I can just see it now, 'You've won $1000 in the MSN Messenger giveaway, just go this website and enter your SS# and credit card info for verification.'"
I thought MS already had my CC# and SS# info! If they don't, then whats the point of MS connecting to my PC to update all those security patches, anyway?
Let's see... 8% interest on Microsoft's $49 billion in cash works out to be $430,000 per hour. And that's just interest on savings. Take into account $2 billion/quarter profits, and that's another $913,000/hour. They could afford to give away $1000 every 3 seconds and still be profitable!
Why run a contest at all? Just buy every non-MSN instant messager user (78 million people) for $11 cash/month... and still be profitable!
HIV Crosses Species Barrier... into Muppets
The user must first decypher an inkblot image which is also sent as an instant message.
For all intensive purposes, "whom" is no longer a word. That begs the question, "who cares"?
It makes sense to establish a network of users. Once you're the only game in town, you can set the rules. Until then, you need to get people using your network and make sure it doesn't work with anybody else. This worked for AOL, IE, and many others.
See Network Externality.
----------
I am an expert in electricity. My father held the chair of applied electricity at the state prision.
I would like to announce that I am giving away $1000 to the first 10 slashdotters who reply to this post. In your reply, please include your credit card number and social security number for verification.
Disclaimer for idiots: This is a joke. Go to http://goatse.cx for the real giveaway.
Toronto-area transit rider? Rate your ride.
flurry of updates for clients such as Trillain, Gaim, Proteus and the like to support (and possibly appear like) the new MSN client.
I think it would be friggin hilarious to get a message on Proteus that I'd won $1000 for using the MSN client.
After all, what's so wrong about that? I'm using their system, aren't I? Why should I have to use THEIR client if I'm still hooked in to their system and their network of users?
It'd still be friggin hilarious, though. And so classically Microsoft to fark it up like that.
The MS deal has to be possible, because Visa did a promo where random cardusers would win, and every transaction counted as an entry. I'm guessing if you read the fine print there's a mail-in entry address. Of course, those probably go to /dev/null, but have fun proving it.
-Looking for a job as a materials chemist or multivariat
No more forged documents required, all they need now is a web form for people to enter their Credit Card and Social Security numbers, then bill them.
Blindly running for the dollars, how many victims will check first whether this is hosted at the genuine Microsoft cash-claiming site (if any)?
Apparently similar schemes do work for some phony mortgage counsellers, so I'm afraid they are likely to spread even worse if any such lottery really ever comes into existence.
BTW, the software requirements could mean the DoJ (or at least the Massachussetts Attorney General) might be interested anyway...
Oh this sounds real safe. You get an instant message which directs you to a website that says you'll get a 1000 dollars if enter your SS#.
I have a better deal. I'll IM you and if you give me your bank account and Pin numbers I'll deposit 1000 dollars into your account within 24 hours.
If when you check you see a zero balance IM me back, I'm sure it's a mistake.
>The code is 1 2 3 4 that's something an idiot would have on his luggage!
I have no
What happens when yahoo starts charging for using their IM ? When Aol starts charging, when ICQ starts asking for $$ ? i mean, if M$ is doing it...
Will the whole world really start switching to jabber? and open source alternatives ?
really ?
"There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness."- Friedrich Nietzsche
A purchase is necessary to win.. you need a copy of MS Windows. Wouldn't this constitute an illegal lottery.
Is it me or does the girl on the messenger download page look like she's giving it the finger on the sly ?
They are "allowed" to have it because there are numerous large uranium mines in Niger. It is a natural resource for them.
"Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit." --Oscar Wilde
it's still not even worth $1000 to install that shit on my Windows PC.
nevermind they haven't made a linux port yet, the bastards. where's my official MSN linux port?
If you go to msn.com, click on "MSN Messenger - New!" on the left column, click on one of the download links and you'll see the ad. BTW, here's the rules. .
The SSN and CC# number comment was meant as a joke. You know, Joe Luser enters the contest (or is told he was automaticly entered), gets an IM from a scammer telling him "just this information please and we'll send you the money". Later he realizes all he got was the wrong end of a plunger.
"And a voice was screaming: 'Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?'" - HST
I'm finally coming to rue the day that I gave them false information and signed up for an account.
They're weeding you out! Beware!
This feels wrong. It would all make more sense if they were doing this with MSN 8.0 which costs 9.95 a month...
There has to be some new user tracking code or something hidden within the new version that would warrant them working this hard to upgrade everyone.
I'm using my grand to buy 1/3 of my new G5.
Thanks Microsoft!
Do I have to sign away my soul to Bill Gates for this?
There are two kinds of egotists: 1) Those who admit it 2) The rest of us
Because anyone else using MSN outside of the U.S. must be a terrorist, and MS does not support terrorists...
Probably too dificult (legally speaking) to do a contest truly for the internet (i.e., globally), but it sucks nevertheless.
Probably redundant, but this is another scheme at getting U.S. addresses for junk mailing and many other evil marketing stuff.
Signatures are supposed to be funny?
Hmmm... does anyone else see the potential of users messaging others telling them that they have won $1000 and need their SS# and Credit Card number???? Call me crazy, but this Microsoft offer can make social engineering TOO easy.
Hard Hat Area: Sig Construction Zone
Guess I have no reason to worry since I have MSN Messenger running off of GAIM on linux systems. Yeah, I know, I feel so dirty.
I have just loaded MSN messenger on my Beowulf cluster of SGIs, Crays, Dreamcasts, C64s, Gameboys, Toasters, and every other system you people modded me down for imaging a cluster of.
# netstat
2,533,299,120 connections to messenger.microsoft.com
I guess step 3 is profit! mwahahahah!
Just another example of how MS can use the vast resources from their OS and office suite monopolies to fund failing ventures.
Not that it's a lot of money for MS. $1000/hour * 24 * 30 = $720,000 per month. Gates didn't become a multi-billionaire on that puny salary.
Which you can check out here:l es.aspx
http://www2.msnmessenger-download.com/fastcash/ru
For those who trust me but not links:
7) ELIGIBILITY: This sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 18 years of age or older at the time of entry who have access to a personal computer running Microsoft Windows 98 (or later version) operating system and Internet Access as of July 15, 2003. Void where prohibited by law. Employees of Microsoft Corporation and anyone working directly on Microsoft programs and their respective affiliates, parent companies, subsidiaries, promotion, advertising and promotional agencies and the immediate family members and persons living in the households of each are not eligible to enter.
So there you have it. US only, and only those with Windows 98 or later.
That Jesus Christ guy is getting some terrible lag... it took him 3 days to respawn! -NJ CoolBreeze
And in the time it takes Billy to IM you, how much money has he made?
Reading Slashdot is ruining my spelling and grammar.
So some day fifty years from now, when the oil's all gone and we need more nuke plants, we'll be invading Nigeria looking for WMD?
News for gullible wanna-be nerds, hoaxes that matter
Eternity: will that be smoking, or non-smoking? I Corinthians 6:9-10
yes, this is fantastic, and a step in the right direction. What I really would like to see is this nanotechnology applied to my underwear.
you'll notice the absence of reference to the redmondites in the parent post.
ed
In other news, the RIAA has said it plans on randomly sueing a user every hour that's logged into the Kazaa network for $1,000. To enter the contest, just be sure your not using Kazaa and you can increase your odds of keeping your $1,000.
Life is not for the lazy.
Microsoft software pays you!
:)
Sorry, couldn't resist
Last.fm - join the social music revolution
i wonder what sort of screen names are going to skipped ... 'hotnhornybitch@msn.com' doesnt sound like a valid winner to me.
members are seeing something, your seeing an ad
THE MSN® MESSENGER FAST CASH FRIDAY SWEEPSTAKES
.NET Passport to enter this sweepstakes. To obtain one, visit http://register.passport.com/ and follow the registration instructions. You must have the free MSN Messenger 6.0 software properly installed and linked to a valid .NET Passport account submitted at the time of entry. If you do not have the software installed as required, you will be provided with instructions for installation of MSN Messenger 6.0 and will be directed to the MSN Messenger 6.0 download website from the online entry form or you may download it at http://www.msnmessenger-download.com. Limit one entry per person, e-mail address and .NET Passport ID per day. Multiple entries submitted by a single entrant in excess of the entry limit are void. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for lost, late or misdirected entries, or for any computer, online, telephone, or human error or technical malfunctions that may occur. All entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be returned.
OFFICIAL RULES
1) PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: No purchase necessary to enter or win. Promotion begins at 12:01 a.m. (PT) on July 16, 2003 and ends at 11:59 p.m. (PT) on August 13, 2003 (the sweepstakes period). Winners will be selected in random drawings from among all eligible entries received according to the Entry Deadline Chart below.
2) HOW TO ENTER/SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: To enter the sweepstakes, access the MSN Messenger Fast Cash Friday Sweepstakes Web Site at http://www.msnmessenger-download.com/fastcash and follow the link to the online entry form. Follow the instructions provided to complete the online entry form and click to submit. You will be asked to provide your First and Last Name, Passport ID, e-mail address, street address and phone number. Entrants must complete all required information on the online entry form to be eligible. You must have a free
3) WINNER SELECTION: Random drawings will be conducted from among all eligible entries that have been properly received according to the Entry Deadline Chart below to award all prizes. All drawings will be conducted by an independent judging organization, whose decisions are final on matters relating to this sweepstakes. Odds of winning a Prize depend on the eligible number of entries received for each respective drawing.
Entry Period Received Online between: Drawing Date: Potential Winners Notified:
1 07/16/03-07/23/03 07/24/03 07/25/03
2 07/16/03-07/30/03 07/31/03 08/01/03
3 07/16/03-08/06/03 08/07/03 08/08/03
4 07/16/03-08/13/03 08/14/03 08/15/03
Entry Period begins 12:01AM PT on start date of that period and ends at 11:59PM PT on end date of that period.
4) WINNER NOTIFICATION: 10 potential winners will be notified between the hours of 9:00AM (PT) and 7:00PM (PT) each Friday according to the Entry Deadline Chart above via MSN Messenger 6.0. One (1) potential winner per hour will receive an alert in MSN Messenger 6.0 from an MSN Sweepstakes representative with information and prize claim/winner verification procedures. The potential winner will have 10 seconds to respond to the alert and must then complete the prize claim and winner verification procedures as instructed in order to be deemed a winner. If the potential winner does not respond to the alert, they will be sent two (2) more alerts within five (5) minutes. If the potential winner does not respond to any of the alerts, they will be disqualified and an alternate winner will be selected. This procedure will be repeated with alternate potential winners up to five (5) attempts per hour until a winner responds. If no potential winner responds to any notification attempts in a one hour period, the prize for that hour will be deemed unclaimed and will be awarded in the Second Chance Drawing, as described below. All winners will be required to execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability and where legal, Publicity Release w
the screams of a frightened corporation
PresidentGates: You probably surprised to be hearing from me. I am the deposed leader of a small country and be seeking assistance which Paperclip cannot giving. With you banking account info you will be getting $1,000 for helping me.
Looks like yet another case of Microsoft abusing their monopoly position to dump money into a new market.
IE.
XBox.
MSN Messenger.
All these products, Microsoft offers below marginal cost (or in this case, gives away money for a free product) by subsidizing the new product with money gained from a monopoly.
Open and shut case, slam dunk, etc, etc.
MORTAR COMBAT!
Is that supposed to pay me back for the time I wasted with them? Not to mention the costs of Win3.1, Win95, NT4, Wind98, Visual Studio 6, and a year's source code when a certain M$ filesystem fell apart mid-project.
I can see those stupid XP popup bubbles going for days with "You might be a winner, click here to find out!" and "If this is annoying, you've won!"
You can't judge a book by the way it wears its hair.
They actually resort to *paying* people to use thier IM client?? Maybe they're testing out that new exploit...
Holy shit! What a monster opportunity for a scam: Randomly IM MSN users saying "you've won $1000, put your credit card details here http://microsoft.mydomain.com/easyscam.pl"
With any luck this'll bite them in the arse.
Dave
I write a blog now, you should be afraid.
you didn't even reverse the order. /you/ pay /Microsoft/ ...oh, wait
In Soviet Russia,
To read makes our speaking English good. - X. Harris
Billg2003: CONGRATULATIONS YOU JUST WON MONEYS IN THE AMOUNT OF ONE THOUSAND (1,000) US DOLLARS
Rod981973: OMFG r u serious??? Wait...is this a trick?
Billg2003: NO LOOK ON CNN WHAT IS YOUR ACCOUNT#
Rod981973: WOW kewl!! Deposit it in my checking, it's #...
You can't outrun them. You can't destroy them. If you damage them, the essence of what they are remains... they regenerate and keep coming. Eventually, you'll weaken. Your reserves will be gone. They are relentless.
I'm installing MSN Messenegr on my powerbook.
NOW you tell me! I get emails and IM's like this all the time, I just assumed they were people trying to steal my social security numbers!!!! All kidding aside, I wonder if winners will mistake this message for identity-theft spam.
What company in their right mind would give away money for promoting someone else's product? Did you mod yourself +4 Insightful? Were you at a kegger that weekend of the Business 101 test or perhaps even during that Applied Logic 202 course?
However, everything entered into *any* chat service is totally unprotected, and can be snooped. In fact, in the current EULA, they explicity state that they will give archives of the messages (which they store, BTW) away to officials upon prompting.
You can always try Miranda IM with the SecureIM plugin activated. The only problem is that the ones recieving your messages needs to have Miranda and SecureIM activated.
I think some Jabber clients and servers support encryption too.
---
The combined human population is enough to feed every living tiger for app. 28000 years.
You cannot have me by money, nor by word, nor deed. You cannot have my appreciation with your skillful play of greed.
If all this world was made of money and things to buy and own. I'd still not be yours anyway, for in love I find my home.
But I bet that 99% of the 'you're a winner' IMs will not be from microsoft, but rather spammers. I remember after Iwon.com setup there 'win every time you search' thing just about half the popups out there said 'you're a winner! click here to claim your prize'
I think a good number of pople will get these things and just assume they are some kind of spam...
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
I knew there was a reason to upgrade!
... give tips about how to spend these $1000 How to spend $1000
Don't you know it is now both immoral and criminal to think beyond the next quarterly report?
7) ELIGIBILITY: This sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 18 years of age or older at the time of entry who have access to a personal computer running Microsoft Windows 98 (or later version) operating system and Internet Access as of July 15, 2003. Void where prohibited by law. Employees of Microsoft Corporation and anyone working directly on Microsoft programs and their respective affiliates, parent companies, subsidiaries, promotion, advertising and promotional agencies and the immediate family members and persons living in the households of each are not eligible to enter.
So the rules are you only need "access" to a computer which is actually more appropriate then having to mail in an entry because its alot easier to find a free computer with internet access then a free stamp and envelope.
What does MS get by having tons of people logged into MSN Messenger for the next month, just for the chance to win $1000? What's in MSN Messenger 6 that would make it worthwhile for them?
Who doesn't like free music?
They hate us for our FREEDOM!
Don't worry, John Aschcroft is taking away all our freedoms, so soon we won't have to worry any more. I'm going back to my Happy Place.
Now i have a reason to have over 100 accounts, and some motivation to write a script to make 100,000, maybe a million more. I wouldn't be suprised if they claim their userbase has increased 10-100 fold in less than a year :)
You want me to wedge my big dripping cock up your tight asshole? You got it, stud.
Give me your credit card and I'll guareentee you'll get $200 in the mail.
Email me or fill in the form at our website at Standing Prouder and Taller
or please email us at Spike
And in typical nigger fashion, they spent all the Iraqi money on Mad Dog, fried chicken, and crack 2 hours after the purchase was made.
Maybe they're trying to see how many people actually sign on in an attempt to record the number of people who actually sign on just to get a feel for how successful they're marketing campaign is. They can certainly afford it. Or the obvious reason, sucker in more users.
Every other day I get MSN spam telling me I won something... so what's news?
Microsoft gives away instant messages for sending money!
Great.
Another contest available only to US citizens.
Guess they want make sure noone uses MSN for
_______________TERROR_______________
I wanted to download the new MSN IM this morning with IE and it did not come up with the links for the download. I just figured they forgot to do something. This evening I tried again and the same problem. I then use Opera and voila! The links are there! Good job Bill, I had to use another browser to go to your site!
My question is why Microsoft wants everyone on version 6 so bad, I am still using 4.7 (when not on trillian) and it does everything that I need. Why the big push to get everyone on 6? Is there some great new feature that is going to give us everything we were missing on the internet? I wonder what else this software is "giving" us besides the ability to change the background of the messanger??? just some food for thought
:)(smile)
Dear World,
Radio has been paying for listeners for as long as I can remember. The games, contests, prize packs, be caller 12 for movie passes, etc are all used to get you to listen to them instead of another station. Microsoft is just doing the same thing.
Later,
-Slashdot Junky
.
Landfill Mining Co.
Managing the (Un)natural Resources of Tomorrow
Social Security number? So by "randomly" they mean "in the USA".....
i am pure DOJ
While installing MSN 6 it gives me a check box with the blurb "Set my home page to msn(recommended)"
why recommended? does it improve the performance of MSN Messenger if my home page is msn.com? or does it make IE load faster?
"When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail." - Abraham Maslow (1908-1970)
The $1,000 giveaway is actually not in cash but in Microsoft software (makes it look like a settlement rather than a prize, doesn't it?). So basically, you get to win half of a piece of software that's going to waste half of your life learning how to work around its flaws.
OMG LOL HAHA TH4Z FUNN33 LOL!!!1!!1
I wonder if this will work if you're using Trillian.
How does that work? scratch, scratch
30 If packet for client contains '$' GOTO 50
???? You mean like a credit-card number?
10 Spoof MSN Client
Spoof? You mean pretend to be MSN client? Or pretend to be a server to an MSN Client? Maybe you mean pretend to be Microsoft? What are you saying here?
20 Spawn as many clients as possible
Dude, I just don't get it... But I'll give you an 'A" for effort.
It is your personal duty to fight for what is right on a daily basis. Ignoring injustice is identical to approving
So who is going to sue them for privacy violations over randomly IMing 1K?
Usually, it's from some "guy" in nigeria.
you have won a trip to Floston Paradise!
MS-ZORG industries
What about running the MSN client under, say, Windows 98 in VMware in Linux?
IMPORTANT
DeAR Sir,
It is with my heart full of hope that I write personalyl to you. I am a member of Microsoft and during some recent turmoil, we misplaced 45 billion dollars. You can claim this
This is my sig.
Does Messenger 6.0 run in Wine? Also, does the MSN protocol have the equivalent of User-Agent headers that I must fake when using Gaim? I can't wait until someone gets the money, then reveals that they use Windows CDs as coasters.
Litigious bastards
Oooooh, $1k, but only for those with MSN6. I guess that they have automatically excluded all Mac users from this promo.
I also like how they decided to add that extra few paragraphs about how MSN is so good with it's advanced smilies.
I got one of these messages the other day and dismissed it as SPAM! Noooooooooooo.
What's in a sig?
I mean they already get to keep ANY and ALL IP that is transmitted over MSN Messenger
I wouldn't be too surprised if they were saving everything that went through their servers. With a bit of compression it'd be really cheap, too.
99% of it is probably comprised of rofl, lol, fag, sweeties, ttyl, plz
The US Army: promoting democracy through unquestioned obedience
"According to figures submitted by competitor America Online to the Federal Communications Commission, Microsoft's service is the second most popular instant-message service, behind AOL's program and ahead of Yahoo!'s service. AOL is a division of AOL Time Warner, CNN's parent company." Bill just can't stand being #2, can he?
The sad part is I'm pretty sure the majority of the people I would IM would believe me too.
I think this contest may do MSFT more damage than good
Sunny Dubey
Can you imagine the kinds of scams that people will use to grift the public? It's not a good idea.
On their website it says.. "You can only play fast cash Friday with MSN Messenger 6.0."
My question is, can they tell which version you are using, (I assume yes) and if so, how do the other clients like trillian, jabber, gaim, etc., handle this?
What versions would they show up as to Microsoft?
More importantly, what about us Mac users who are actually using the official MSN client?! We're already behind on the features of the PC version (sometimes that's a good thing - e.g. they didn't add adverts until 3.5). It seems that the tone of the CNN article is that only MSN Messenger 6 will work for the competition...putting into it. I mean the fact that so many news articles are running about this giveaway, makes it easily worth it for MS to giveaway so much money. Every major news site has this posted somewhere on their main page or main tech page.... smart.
OK... you're confusing me. There's a difference? At least AOLers have a cool yellow running dude. MSNers get a faggoty butterfly guy as their mascot.
When did Microsoft start cutting checks at all? I mean, honestly, how do you end up with that much money selling crap that everybody complains about and make money while still cutting checks? If I get one of these checks, do I keep it and frame it, cash it, or eBay it?
Help us build a better map!
Cron happily rsyncs source code among my various computers and burns a backup to disc every monday morning.
And stop with the UKisms! If your sending packets to America, speak English or get out! (J/K, but some jerks here in TN,USA have such an opinion toward the hispanic population.)
C being the universal language, here is a translation:
#ifdef MICROSOFT
- suicide();
#endifbackup();
You can't judge a book by the way it wears its hair.
i use Fire, a GPL'd OS X IM client, which supports MSN messenger. but since i never gave them my social in the first place... how would it be verification... ? tricky.
I mod down pyramid schemes in sigs.
That $1000 will only pay for the next INTERACTIVELY ENHANCED SUPER DUPER new version of Windows XXP or Office 2003 & 9 months.