Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft Attempts to Woo Students With 'Crowdsourced' Laptops
theodp writes "Q. What do Chris Brown and Steve Ballmer have in common? A. They both want you to Beg for It. GeekWire reports that Microsoft is touting its new Chip In program, a crowdfunding platform that allows students to 'beg' for select Windows 8 PCs and tablets that they can't afford on their own. Blair Hanley Frank explains, 'Students go to the Chip In website and choose one of the 20 computers and tablets that have been pre-selected by Microsoft. Microsoft chips in 10% of the price right off the bat, and then students are given a link to a "giving page" to send out to anyone they think might give them money. Once their computer is fully funded, Microsoft ships it to them.' Hey, what could go wrong?"
This almost reminds me of all those e-mails from way back when that say if you forward the e-mail to 10 or so friends, Bill Gates will send you a free PC. I'm already very suspect of any e-mail asking for money, even if it is from someone I know.
And microsoft then sells your list of contacts to marketers or uses it themselves to spam.
I can already hear the Internet scams popping up right now.
You go to some family get-together.
Uncle: Hey Jimmy, I got that message about the laptop you wanted. I donated $300 for you!
Jimmy: Umm, I never signed up for any laptop nor did I send you a request to donate to buy one for me.
*crickets*
The funny thing is, this is for college "kids"... in other words -- grown fucking adults.
When I saw the shitty Slashdot blurb, I assumed this was going to be for disadvantaged children or something. Instead, it's for those poor unfortunate ADULTS who are so disenfranchised and disadvantaged that they're attending (through one manner or another) tens of thousands of dollars for college tuition and related expenses, but need to beg and spam people for the $600 for a laptop.
Ridiculous.