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Microsoft PR Paying to "Correct" Wikipedia

Unpaid Schill writes "Over on the O'Reilly Network, there's an interesting piece about how Microsoft tried to hire people to contribute to Wikipedia. Not wanting to do the edits directly, they were looking for an intermediary to make edits and corrections favorable to them. Why? According to the article, it was apparently both to let people know that Microsoft will not 'enable death squads with their UUIDs' and also to fight the growing consensus that OOXML contains a useless pile of legacy crap which is unfit for standardization."

8 of 355 comments (clear)

  1. Microsoft is better than Linux by heauxmeaux · · Score: 2, Funny

    Microsoft has *always* been better than Linux.

    --
    Beat 'Em and Eat 'Em
  2. Dear Microsoft by All_One_Mind · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm available for hire. Please send me a Ferrari notebook, Office 2007, and a contract to sign away my soul. Did I mention I also blog?

  3. Re:Honesty.... by Scrameustache · · Score: 4, Funny

    what the hell is the marketing department doing?
    Are they *that* ethically challenged?
    Or is it that they are *that* desperate to be cool and loved?
    How about a policy of honesty Their job.
    Yes.
    That's their job.
    That would be the anti-thesis of marketing.
    --

    You can't take the sky from me...

  4. My evil brain... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...was ticking along one day, and I realized wikipedia is not going anywhere, and that corporate entities are going to want to have a very "respectable" write-up just to maintain image, to play up positives and downplay negatives. And so I envisioned this pitch: "Ensure your wikipedia entry is acceptable and not compromised by rumour and hearsay by subscribing to my service for $29,99 a month. My team of wikipedia nerds will ensure the integrity of your company's entry is maintained to the highest possible manner in accordance with veritable truth. For an extra $50 a month this truth can be considered as flexible as a gymnast."

  5. Re:Isn't this just spam using robots? by russ1337 · · Score: 2, Funny

    ....would extend your Windows license for a few days.

    You mean it runs out???

  6. Re:Honesty.... by thelost · · Score: 5, Funny

    excuse me, did anyone ask you to get in the way of a good ms bashing opportunity?

    --
    Promote Charity on Myspace, Show Your Colours!
  7. Re:Honesty.... by slugstone · · Score: 2, Funny

    Of course, you're welcome to call me an idiot all you like. I majored in Philosophy, I can take it. AND I work primarily in VBScript, meaning I have developed balls of steel from being kicked in them again and again and again.

    +1 for ball of steel.

  8. Re:hi, I'm the guy you're bashing today by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    "who can explain the difference between PR and evangelism?"

    wait, wait, I know this one... Evangelists? Or was it PR people? Aw shucks, I forget :(