Microsoft Attack Ads on Linux.com
I’ve posted the ads I’ve noticed in the rotation so far - if you see some I have missed, let me know, and I will update this post with the new photos.
If I were Linux.com, I would be starting to think about removing the DoubleClick ads, and perhaps begin direct selling advertisements to companies that provide enterprise consulting and support in Linux. One of the main misconceptions about Linux is there is a lack of support available to corporate customers were they to make the switch. Providing advertisement to companies offering these services would immediately go some ways to alleviating these concerns. Additionally, Microsoft’s FUD campaign would have one less outlet.
On another note, this reminds me of the time when OpenOffice.org plastered Redmond transit routes frequented by Microsoft employees with ads promoting the OpenOffice.org software.
Were gamers ever considering Linux for their computers? ‘Cause you know Halo isn’t gonna run on Linux without one of the Win32 ABI shims (Wine, et al.).
I guess you cant blame them for trying to stem the flow, so why not do the same back with Linux adverts ?
@PJB: It’s a good idea. However, it would have to be done by someone who has the funding for it. ie., we would need to get a corporation with a vested interest in Linux (Novell, IBM, Google or someone) to put in the money for it…
If Linux wasn’t a threat, then why is Microsoft spending money trying to counter it?
Thats a great find Caydel.
@Scott
I had to pull your comment from my spam bin. I get lots of spam with ‘That’s a great find’, guess you just got lumped in…
@ Jeff
Yes, because gaming is defined as Halo… Everyone who plays games will buy Halo. HALO OMG HALO AAAAH.
@Brian,
I don’t think corporate IT division is that dumb and would just fall into that kind of advertisements.
Every single fact is out there on the open so CIO, CTO or whatever executives that drive the decision for the IT division in the corporate world must’ve done a good calculation for their IT purchase.
Be it MS based or Open Source based (with tons of wrapper provided by the company they’re dealing with such as IBM and Oracle).
I’m not sure IBM is endorsing MySQL as heavy as they are endorsing their own expensive DB2 and their hardware.
Linux.com? Who the fsck cares! That site has no credibility at all. The site even looks cheap.
[IMGs] Anuncios ofensivos de Microsoft en linux.com…
Capturas de pantalla en las que se ven anuncios de Microsoft en contra de Linux en Linux.com. La más clara es esta: caydel.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/09/linux2.jpg…
This was probably done with little thought by MS (probably just trying to spend advertising $), all it is going to do is make Linux users more anti-MS
who even sees ads these days?
Gamers wont consider Linux.
And Microsoft has a tight grip on Gamers which is EXACTLY their heart these days (XNA is windows-only for example. Mono is pushed along Net and C#)
Its time for Linus to act now. Does he want Linux to succeed? Then he better encourage people instead of flaming Gnome by giving clear advice and goals.
The kernel is very good but for a successful OS we need more. And Linus can forever point out that this is the job of the distribution, but thats a wrong thinking model which will lead to the 5% max cap of Linux DESKTOP users compared to the rest…
I think it is ironic that Microsoft uses the word reliability. To paraphrase Arthur Dent “Ah, this is obviously some strange use of the word unreliable that I wasn’t previously aware of.” Microsoft actually designs their operating system to be unreliable. I have discussed this with Microsoft employees and they generally grudgingly agree with my assessment.
I’ve seen these ads not only on linux.com but various other linux-related sites. And, from what I know, the companies that run these advertising businesses (the ones that feed the ads to the web pages) don’t give any control over what ads can appear on the site unless they’re adult-oriented. So, if Microsoft runs a bunch of ads with “linux, ubuntu, solaris, bsd, open source” as the tags, then chances are the ads are going to be seen on those respective sites, and those sites can’t do anything about it.
Which, to me, is wrong. I believe that customers of ad-agencies should have the option to block certain advertisers from their site. For example, Microsoft bloggers could choose to block Apple and Linux ads, Republicans could block Democratic ads, and Linux could block Microsoft ads. It would be fair, and it would likely make the ads better targeted to the audience of that site.
Only reason I have Do$e is to play games. If the nix community or even Apple with OS X would offer some kind of bait to devs to code the games for a nix based OS I bet there would be TONS of OS X or linux fanboys who would dump thier do$e…
Imagine if iTunes had games, or if my TV top iTV would allow me to play games on my TV that were running on my OS X box… yeah that would be neeto.
Wow, blatant lies from Microsoft. Utterly untrue.
gaymers, like they matter anyway.
Come on guys–Microsoft isn’t that bad!
But I do think it would be very considerate of them to include an an enema kit (refered to by Shakespeare as a “clyster tube”) with their software, as you are surely going to need it after your installation of and MS operating system
Hmm, I wonder what ad system Linux.com is even using? If it was an open ad system, like Google AdWords, then Microsoft must have set their bid rather high. If it’s not an open ad system, then how did this make it to the frontpage of the site?
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Dustin Puryear
Author, Best Practices for Managing Linux and UNIX Servers
http://www.puryear-it.com
@Dustin - I believe they are using Doubleclick, which allows site targeting in addition to keyword-targeted campaigns.
I suspect this must be a site-targeted campaign. I would assume that many people are bidding on the ‘Linux’ keyword. Even if Microsoft had the top bid in a keyword campaign, you would still see other advertisers rotated through, since an ad network can’t just ignore the lower bidders.
If it is a site-targeted campaign, it takes precedence over the keyword-targeted campaigns, providing the kind of coverage we see here.
Okay, first of all, HOW ABOUT I READ THE ARTICLE INSTEAD OF SKIMMING IT: “If I were Linux.com, I would be starting to think about removing the DoubleClick ads”. Sorry about that.
Yes, I agree that it must be site-targeted. That woul be entirely too random otherwwise.
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Dustin Puryear
Author, Best Practices for Managing Linux and UNIX Servers
http://www.puryear-it.com
Good find. You can always look at the posoitive side of this. What worse a market for Microsoft to target than Linux users?
I’m also seeing text ads at the bottom:
‘Independent studies show Windows is fast & cost effective.’
I think Balmer must be sending his marketing team on reverse psychology trainging days.