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Microsoft Hopes Prizes Will Attract New Searchers

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the scratch-and-win dept.

BertieBaggio writes "Remember the long-running e-mail hoax that had Bill Gates testing an "e-mail tracing program" and offering to pay recipients big bucks if they passed his test e-mail along to all their friends? Well, the offer is true, sort of. Microsoft wants you to use its search engine, and it's got $1 million worth of prizes up for grabs for those who nibble at the offer. Following Yahoo's recent consideration of offering prizes to searchers, is this another tactic to lure users away from Google with candy and other shiny things?"

2 of 195 comments (clear)

  1. Give-aways by garrett714 · · Score: 1, Redundant

    I'm sorry but using prizes to get people to use your search engine means you obviously don't have the technology to lure people. When something can't become popular by word of mouth it probably isn't that great. When someone has to GIVE you something to use their service, then it must be pretty bad.

  2. Re:Not gonna get me again by gamer4Life · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I didn't have to send any money, and I still got a free copy of Internet Explorer when I bought Windows XP!