Tue 4 Apr 2006
Microsoft advertises on Google for the word “Linux”
Posted by David under pass alongs
[2] Comments
So, today I was looking for some video capture software stuff for Linux, and I ended up searching
[Dag’s site](http://dag.wieers.com/) for the thing I was looking for. Didn’t find it, but the point is that when I ran
this Google search from Dag’s site I was greeted by a link called “Linux” paid for by Microsoft. “Independent Windows vs Linux data. Download free white papers.” Setting aside the question of whether or not it’s in any sense valid to use the word “independent” in such a case, I just thought it was interesting that MS was paying Google for *anything*, particularly the word “Linux”, especially in the light of [Steve Balmer’s recent statement to CNN that his kids aren’t allowed to use Google (or iPods)](http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/04/03/8373041/index.htm). (That they aren’t allowed to use Linux, I’m sure, goes without saying). Of course, it’s obviously trying to contrast its server products to those of Linux, I don’t see this as at all scandalous. Just interesting.
By the way, [a much simpler search](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=linux&btnG=Google+Search) shows the same thing.
I can’t believe that somebody posts an ad for drugs as a comment to a blog (I’m looking at comment 1, which is just such an ad). First, does anyone EVER look into these ads? And second, it’s obnoxious as hell.
Dan
Indeed. Important to note, it’s not a “person” per se… they have software that automatically submits these things to millions of blogs… So, in short, it’s just like spam. I’m deleting about 30 a day right now. :(