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Microsoft "SiteFinder" Quietly Raking It In
An anonymous reader writes in with the news, which isn't particularly new, that Microsoft's Internet Explorer sends typo domain names to a page of pay-per-click ads. In this endeavor Microsoft joins Charter and Earthlink in profiting from the dubious practice that Verisign pioneered but failed to make stick. The article is on a site whose audience is, among others, those who attempt to profit by typo-squatting, and its tone is just a bit petulant because individuals cannot hope to profit in this game on the scale Microsoft effortlessly achieves.
Watch for chairs. This is like the Sitefinder hackery, only much worse - its built into the app you're using. Rather than you choosing to use Google or some MS engine, MS has built your browser (and face it, IE _is_ the Intarweb for most people) to automatically use ITS search engine.
As far as the poor IE7 saps know, Microsoft IS Google.
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
sheesh, what are you people, idiots?
All IE7 does is go to the search page OF YOUR CHOICE if you misspell something. I have IE7 configured with Google as my default search engine ...
Who cares if you can change your settings, this is just another sleazy way for M$ to sell eyeballs. The authors are angry because M$ both decries typo-squatting and practices it. The net result of their defaults is to violate the tradmarks of other companies by typo squatting, how's that for IP respect? Hypocrisy and sleaze are nothing new in Redmond. Nor are changes in defaults. I'm sure your next Windoze update will obliterate your defaults. They would not want all of the ppc revenue going to Google now would they? Of course it won't because the vast majority of Windoze users who use IE will just accept anything and everything M$ shovels at them until they finally give up computers all together.
An honest browser reports your error, "An error occurred while loading http://poopydoo.com/ Unknown host poopydoo.com." This prompts users to look again or maybee to use their Google bar with a reasonably worded search. Users confounded by a pile of advertisements are going to be confused more than anything else. IE7 is not an honest browser because M$ is not an honest company.
DMCA, Hollings, Palladium. What might have sounded like paranoia is now common sense.
There are many comparisons here by Microsoft apologists to .. firefox defaulting to a google search which yeilds some PPV ads, and then yelling 'See - Those OSS guys are just as bad, Whats the Difference ?'
.. the question is, as a user .. are the tools that I am using doing _something_ on the internet that ends up benefitting the provider of those tools.
... right ? .. and lets just ignore the fact that the driver in the second case also happens to have a record of accidentally benefitting from the deaths of so many other ex-spouses, but lets not allow facts to cloud our judgements here please.
...
Well - the difference is : This is a Microsoft OS that bundles in a Microsoft client browser redirecting a user's request to a Microsoft hosted site which includes PPV ads which end up paying money back to Microsoft.
Cant you see the difference here ?
This is one of the dangers of allowing ONE company to control the whole stack.
If someone clicks through a Google advert, then sure, Google makes money just like MS makes money from its adverts.
The question is not 'Does someone recieve a benefit when a PPV ad is clicked on'
And it is not like Google is in control of either the browser or OS that generates those incoming clicks, and so Google cannot be accused of manipulating the session.
Its the (very subtle) difference between driving a car and accidentally running someone over VS driving a car and accidentally running over your insured spouse. Either way you look at it, its just an accident
If on the other hand, you totally believe everything MS says, and totally trust everything they do, then good luck to you