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Search Engines' Reward Programs

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the this-is-all-so-dot-com dept.

Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "Search engines are dangling rewards and cash prizes to attract customers to their sites, the Wall Street Journal reports. MSN is offering free nights at the Four Seasons and other goodies to people who search for one of roughly a thousand terms on a rotating list. Yahoo's GoodSearch donates a penny to charity for each search. And Blingo hawks giveaways including iPods. But, the WSJ reports, 'There are strings attached to some of the reward programs. Some require users to register personal information like a name or email.'"

9 of 83 comments (clear)

  1. personal info by imboboage0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Some require users to register personal information like a name or email.

    Wait a second - you mean they want to be able to contact me if i win?

    --
    Honesty may be the best policy, but by process of elimination, dishonesty is the second best policy.
    1. Re:personal info by pla · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, cause, you know, they could let you know you won, and *then* ask for your personal information!

      Yeah, cause, you know, not everyone manages to punch the monkey...

  2. And the really big prize comes when by Jim+in+Buffalo · · Score: 3, Funny

    And if they catch you searching for pr0n you'll get a really, really big prize, delivered right to your door by a couple of FBI agents.

    --
    This sig, aah-ah, is comin' like a ghost-sig...
  3. Re:You actually mean it? by jlarocco · · Score: 2, Funny
    They should all be burned as witches!

    But do they weigh the same as a duck?

    --
    Maybe not
  4. Re:hacked by binkzz · · Score: 2, Funny


    <!--text used in the movie-->
    <!--
    house cleaning, William Sonoma, Starbucks, Barnes & Noble ... wine, burgundy, california cab, pillows, throw pillows, throws blanket, oprah
    -->

    <!--DEBUT WEBOSCOPE Msn searchandwin -->

    All the keywords are in a comment inside the html page. Either this is an amazingly dumb oversight, or planned. I'm going with dumb.

    --
    'For we walk by faith, not by sight.' II Corinthians 5:7
  5. 1000 words, eh? by a_nonamiss · · Score: 4, Funny
    MSN is offering free nights at the Four Seasons and other goodies to people who search for one of roughly a thousand terms on a rotating list.

    1000 terms, eh? I don't think any Slashdotters will ever win.

    Asian sluts [click] ...damn
    Teenage sluts [click] ...damn
    Paris Hilton blowjob [click] ...damn
    Hardcore action [click] ...Damn
    MILF [click] ...Damn!
    Mail order brides [click] ...DAMN
    Mother's Day Presents [click] ...DAMN!
    Online dating [click] ...DAMN!!!

    --
    -Arthur
    Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules
  6. Re:You actually mean it? by bobcat7677 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, they float so they must weigh the same as a duck. Burn them! Burn them!

  7. Re:I've given up on "Free Stuff" by Flwyd · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe we should write a popup ad that says "Win Free Software!" When the user clicks on it it downloads Mozilla and turns off popups.

    --
    Ceci n'est pas une signature.
  8. Congratulations! by alx5000 · · Score: 4, Funny

    You win a 4 night hotel for seaching on MSN. There you are, enjoying your fine stay, browsing the net with your laptop in your room...

    Some guy steps in. You look at him. It reminds you of someone. In your astonishment, you remain quiet. He moves his eyes on to your laptop. His pupils dilate. He begins to speak:

    "Just tell me it's not Google".

    You nod, frightened as ever. At that point, he picks up a chair and throws it across the room hitting a table you don't care about cause it's the hotel's anyway.

    "I'm going to fucking bury that guy, I have done it before, and I will do it again. I'm going to fucking kill Google".

    --
    My 0.02 cents