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Your Chance to Meet Bill Gates
tcak writes "From the CNET article: "You could meet the chairman of Microsoft, but you'll have to profess a passion for Windows first. Microsoft is looking for true stories about people using Windows computers to pursue a passion or hobby. The company plans to use them in a marketing blitz tied to the 20th anniversary of Windows' debut. ""
A lot of people seem to be passionate about Macs, Linux and some Unix variants. But I've never known anyone who is really passionate about windows, some people prefer it to other operating systems but nobody really seems to love it. I could understand apple doing this, but I think Microsoft might have difficulty finding people who really love windows.
...this would be it.
Seriously, what is the point of posting this to Slashdot? No, REALLY? Is this some kind of group anger management therapy?
How many of us want to see OUR names splashed around the world by the marketeers as somebody delirously in love with windows?
Is it fascism yet?
but you'll have to profess a passion for Windows
Isn't hatred one of the seven passions?
The thing that really bugs me about Microsoft's products is how they'll fuck over paying customers.
Here's an old by great example. Back when Win95 was released you could not natively use long file names with 16-bit apps. However, there was a product called "Name-It!" which did allow that function. In other words it was possible, but Microsoft chose NOT to implement it. Why? Because long file names was a great feature and it would give incentive to users to upgrade to new 32-bit programs.
Another great example is Messenger, the chat program not the service. Microsoft has made it nearly impossible to get rid of. Even if you edit your sysoc.inf file and uninstall Messenger, it'll suddenly come back. Even if you delete the subfolder under Program Files, it'll mysteriously come back. Obviously Microsoft considers its chat war against AOL more important than ease of use for users.
And of course there's product activation. We were told it was to stop piracy, but that was bull-shit. You can easy obtain pirated copies of XP. Let's face it, if it product activation really worked, then why is Microsoft implementing its anti-piracy feature for people downloading software? And even more importantly, if piracy has been decreased, then why is XP Microsoft's most expensive OS? Why aren't they passing the savings back to use? Once again, the real purpose of product activation is to screw over the paying customer who wants to install XP on both of his systems.
And lets not forget out Microsoft's Office products are constantly screwing with file formats to make the later versions incompatible with earlier versions. Once again, this is NOT done to make it easier for paying customers. It's merely leverage to get those customer paying again and again.
It'd be really hard to be passionate FOR Microsoft's products. It's hard to be passionate for anything that nickel and dimes you at every turn. That treats you like a criminal. And sees you merely as a cash cow to be milked at every chance.
If someone says he and his monkey have nothing to hide, they almost certainly do.
Sounds similar to GWB's town hall events. :/
You have a shot at talking to the president, but first you have to pledge support.
"Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
Yeah, I'm passionate about Windows. After using it for 10 years I came to so passionately hate it that I stopped using it. And then I watched as all my friends and family got passionate about Windows and buy Macs.
The Your Potential. Our Passion campaign has always bothered me (again, passionately) because Microsoft doesn't make any products that have anything to do with any of the things shown in their ads. They can't make you an astronaut, fashion designer, or bass player. Clearly they're just selling an image--but it's Apple's image that they're selling and they're not even doing a good job at it.
If they really want to find people who love Windows they should just look for cars with Windows stickers on them. I see Apple and Tux stickers all over the place and with a million percent more market share there should be a million times more people so passionate about their OS that they celebrate it with a sticker on their car. No, I've never seen one either, but you figure they've got to exist somewhere.
Microsoft is looking for true stories about people using Windows computers to pursue a passion or hobby. (Emphasis mine)
It sounds like they're looking for people who have been motivated by the experience of Microsoft products to participate in open source development.
Windows is easier because it is the market leader and almost every bit of hardware or commercial software that you find is designed for it. Chances are that you also "grew up" using it and the knowledge that you gained was bit by bit and mostly painless. The windows environment comparable to the American system of weights and measures -- everyone (in the US) uses it, everyone has some knowledge about it, and everything is designed for it. I know by looking at a bolt if it is 5/16 of an inch, if you asked me how many milimeters, I'd have to think. Even if metric "makes more sense" it won't "just work" for me unless I retrain myself. Linux has made things easier and with some of the Live CDs things mostly just work, but there is usually some retraining and tinkering for me at least.