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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."
I agree completely. I'm no MS fanboi, having experience with both Windows and Linux, but there are a lot of good things that could be said about Windows, which are just being left out of intellectual conversation largely because most contributors are MS-hating fanboys. I could think of a number of criticisms of Linux off the top of my head - non-intuitive installation, difficulity for newb users to switch platforms easily (whether because of intentional design or simply because of it's mass spread throughout society as a whole, the Windows interface is, for the large part, intuitive.) But just look up "Criticism of Linux" on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_linux/ and it's nothing but a poorly worded paragraph with links towards criticisms on the windows OSs. A very easy way to get modded Troll or a low mod score in /. is simply to write anything in support of Windows.
Nobody is denying that there is nothing wrong with MS, and Windows. But say what you want about shady business practices, if people continously, consistently remain on Windows, there must be something in it they like, something that works for them. I know many people who chose to use Windows, even after knowing of Linux. To quote author of TFA, that's just the stream they CHOOSE to swim in.
Microsoft has been badly ravaged by mostly childish, backhanded insults on Wikipedia and other forums. It's about time they take some positive action to boost their good name. It is a company, after all.
Why do I have a feeling I'll be modded Troll? Hell, screw my karma, I'm sleepy.
-Mugi.
I have bad karma. What do I care what you think?
and "no freakin' ethics" elsewhere.
you are judged by what you do yourself. if you're too slimy and gutless to stand on your word, but have to whistle up shills instead, you're slime.
if MS is doing it, then they're fraudulently distorting records and public opinion. not the first, won't be the last. but I don't do business with them any more because they are screamin' weasels who can't even stand up with a stone face and tell their own lies.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
Slashdotters are all about the FUD.
If I'd ever want to hire a good artist it's not that important to me whether the artist knows how to draw using 20 different tools. Or a writer/programmer knows 20 different languages.
I'd be more interested to know what they have actually created for work and fun, and intend to create in the future.
But then, I'm not working in HR or a boss of a company, so what do I know...