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Microsoft's Ballmer: Google Reads Your Mail

Posted by Zonk on from the ballmer-lives-in-a-glass-house dept.

Anonymous writes "A piece of video has emerged in which Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer says of Google, 'they read your mail and we don't.' Evidently, it was part of a lengthy discussion on the future of the software business model, and whether advertising could support free consumer software. Ballmer said it doesn't work, at least when it comes to email. '"That's just a factual statement, not even to be pejorative. The theory was if we read your mail, if somebody read your mail, they would know what to talk to you about. It's not working out as brilliantly as the concept was laid out." Ballmer isn't the first to fire salvos at Google's Gmail privacy policy. Privacy advocates have been critical over the policy almost since the beginning, but the popularity of the service has skyrocketed nonetheless.'"

6 of 264 comments (clear)

  1. The sky is falling! The sky is falling! by Noryungi · · Score: 5, Funny


    It's official... Google reads your email! Be afraid! Be VERY afraid! It must be true, because Steve Ballmer of Microsoft says so, and we all know how decent Steve is!

    Ahem.

    Excuse me, I got carried away here for just a second. :-)

    By the way, if you don't want anyone to read your email, don't use gmail, hotmail or yahoo mail... But do use GPG and a local email client, other than Outlook... mmmmmkay?

    --
    The right to offend is far more important than the right not to be offended. (Rowan Atkinson)
  2. I knew it by jsse · · Score: 5, Funny

    Ballmer says of Google, 'they read your mail and we don't.' Now I know why you don't respond to my comments and complains, you just simply don't read them at all.

    Your honesty as a corporate leader shines us all.
  3. The full quote... by darthflo · · Score: 4, Funny

    The video mentioned in TFS is, of course, a fake. The actual quote was this: Ballmer: [...] they read your mail and we don't, but our Developers, Developers, Developers are working on that! Developers, Developers, Developers...

    After a few minutes of his "developers" chant, Ballmer was reported as throwing chairs at every googly seeming person in the room.

  4. Re:What a crock by Aqua+OS+X · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's also worth noting that Hotmail doesn't send or receive many of its messages. Microsoft is going that extra mile by making sure that we also don't read our email.

    --
    "Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
  5. Re:What a crock by noidentity · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm a robot, and reading data IS mining to me, you insensitive clod!

  6. Please quote completely by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Funny

    I hate people who quote out of context. At least be complete.

    they read your mail and we don't ...have to because we know everything we want to know about you through the phoning home of our OS.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.