Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Gives MVP Award to Adware Pusher
An anonymous reader writes "Ed Bott reports that Microsoft has given an MVP (Most Valuable Professional Award) to an individual known for peddling Adware via his Messenger Plus program." From the article: "So how did a guy whose primary business involves installing adware become an MVP? That's what Christopher Boyd, a Microsoft Security MVP better known as Paperghost wants to know. Boyd isn't the only MVP who has a history with Patchou. Sandi Hardmeier, a current MVP in the Internet Explorer category who specializes in the fight against malware, has written three long, angry pages about the messy adware that 'sponsors' Patchou's product."
It's probably because these 'awards' are dreamed up and given out by 'Marketing' folk who are too stuck up their own arse to waste time talking to technical experts to find out if what they're doing makes any sense.
There is nothing interesting going on at my blog
Most Valuable Professional? Isn't "Professional" a euphamism for prostitute?
Not in this case, because prostitutes get paid. MVP's give it away for free.
As best I can tell, MS gives the title of MVP to people who do a lot of free tech support for MS - they post a lot in whatever forums MS runs answering questions and generally sticking up for MS's good name.
I am not sure why these people feel the need to give away their personal time and energy to help out MS's bottom line, but MS is smart enough to exploit these sycophants by giving them an "award" of the title MVP which costs MS close to nothing in return and the MVP's seem very proud of this recognition, often listing it in their sigs and whatnot. Like a badge of suckeritude.
I think the reason one MVP is complaining loudly and bitterly enough about another MVP so as to make the front page of slashdot is precisely because the stakes are so small. (to paraphrase a well known rat-fink)
I think you dont understand the difference between adware and spyware. Adware is advertising-supported software. How does trying to support your software via ads make you an asshole?