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Microsoft Holding 'Screw Google' Meetings In DC

Posted by Soulskill on from the or-perhaps-screwgle dept.

Runaway1956 writes "Microsoft's chief Washington lobbyist has been convening regular meetings, attended by the company's outside consultants, that have become known by some beltway insiders as 'screw Google' meetings, DailyFinance has learned. The meetings are part of an ongoing campaign by Microsoft, other Google opponents, and hired third parties to discredit the Web search leader, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the matter. 'Microsoft is at the center of a group of companies who see Google as a threat to them in some combination of business and policy,' said a source who requested anonymity to avoid retribution. 'The effort is designed to make Google look like the big high-tech bad guy here.'"

6 of 331 comments (clear)

  1. Been there, done that. by QuebecNerd · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I've been holding some pretty good 'screw Microsoft' meetings for years in the toilet.

    Nothing new here...

    Joking aside; a little farther and these meetings could been seen as illegal collusion.

  2. Who else does MS usually have on board? by CarpetShark · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The meetings are part of an ongoing campaign by Microsoft, other Google opponents, and hired third parties to discredit the Web search leader, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the matter.

    Anyone else reading "other third parties" as "politicians"?

  3. Best advertisment ever. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    All these competitors must be very desperate if they organize themselves instead of competing with one another. And I don't mean desperate as in "making less profit" or even "running at a loss", I mean desperate as in "about to be finished in the near future".
    This is the best advertisement for Google I can imagine. It's basically Microsoft and there other competitors advising you to put your money on Google.

    1. Re:Best advertisment ever. by je+ne+sais+quoi · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Microsoft's last two quarterly reports haven't been exactly encouraging, for Q4 2009 over Q4 2008, they saw -33% reductions in the Client (windows) division, -1% in Server and Tools, -16% in Business (Office), -51% in online services (bing), and 25% growth in entertainment (xbox). The kicker here is that the growth in the entertainment division is actually mitigating a loss: Both that division and the online services are losing them money, i.e. they're in the red and are not making a profit.

      I suspect that their stock hasn't tanked because Wall Street has faith that their core businesses are such a huge cash cow that they will soon recover their former glory. I have my doubts though, I think the shine is gone and a lot more people have now come to see MS as a blunderer, like GM.

      --
      Gentlemen! You can't fight in here, this is the war room!
  4. "Competition"? We need a new word. by erroneus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In a competition, the playing field is level and the one who works the best or the hardest or the most efficient wins.

    We need a new word for the kinds of "competitive behavior" we see where the focus isn't about making better stuff or providing better services, but is instead focused on bringing down the people around you. In competitive sports, there are rules against such behavior. We can't have ice skaters bashing in the knees of other ice skaters now can we?

    Microsoft is very easy to criticize because they are very well focused on bringing the competition down instead of working to make themselves more competitive. They need to have their language license revoked when their describe their behavior as "competitive" and "innovative." The word "bully" comes to mind, but I fear it is too simplistic and doesn't adequately describe the depth of planning and focus demonstrated. Whatever the word, it needs to convey the abandonment of fair play principles of competition and the selfish and callous disregard for others in the damage they cause. Anyone know of a word that describes this sort of behavior? Perhaps a few from psychology text books might well fit in here somewhere.

  5. Re:pathetic by domatic · · Score: 4, Interesting

    After a trip to Brazil, RedHat's Tiemann was told that the Foundation requires that MS have "cabinet level access" to the government and that MS products be used in any projects the Foundation is involved. If there is a shred of truth to this whatsoever than I cannot regard the actions of the Foundation as true charity. Rather it is the most dishonorable sort of influence peddling.