[LINK] Microsoft Switch 1.0

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

An update to the SlashDot report:

Here's a followup to our earlier story
<http://apple.slashdot.org/apple/02/10/14/1232229.shtml?tid=109> about
Microsoft's "inverse switch" campaign. The AP tracked down the switcher and
spoke with her
<http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=528&ncid=528&e=15&u=/ap/20021014/ap_on_hi_te/microsoft_ad>:
she's an employee at a Microsoft public relations firm but says she
actually did switch from Mac to Windows.

Microsoft's page
<http://www.microsoft.com/insider/opsystems/windowsxp_setup.asp> is still
404 (but Google's cache
<http://216.239.53.100/search?q=cache:JmwQcVoG-ucJ:www.microsoft.com/insider/opsystems/windowsxp_setup.asp+windowsxp_setup.asp&hl=en&ie=UTF-8>
still works).

The interesting part to me is that the AP "tracked Mallinson by examining
personal data hidden within documents that Microsoft had published with its
controversial ad." Hmmmmmm. (Kudos to obidonn, the first to demonstrate
<http://apple.slashdot.org/comments.pl?cid=4447391&sid=42252&tid=109> the
use of a stock photo, which piqued interest in this story. As of 9 PM EDT,
other stock photos
<http://apple.slashdot.org/comments.pl?cid=4448357&sid=42252&tid=109> are
still being used in anonymous Microsoft "testimonials.") 



Roger Clarke wrote:
> 
> Old News?  It wasn't to me.
> 
> For MS-sceptics everywhere:
> http://joi.ito.com/archives/2002/10/15/microsoft_switch_10.html
> >I found this on David Farber's list. Aparently Microsoft tried to do a
> >"switch" campaign like Apple did using "real people" to explain why
> >they switched from Apple to Microsoft. Readers on Slashdot found the
> >women in the ad in a catalog of stock photos and she is aparently not a
> >"real person." Microsoft has since taken down their page, but Google
> >has a cache.
> 
> --
> Roger Clarke              http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/
> 
> Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd, 78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
>                  Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
> mailto:Roger.Clarke@xamax.com.au            http://www.xamax.com.au/
> 
> Visiting Professor, Uni of Hong Kong, Dept of Comp Sci and Info Sys
> Visiting Fellow, Australian National University, Dept of Comp Sci
> ----------
> For Link list information see http://sunsite.anu.edu.au/link/


-- 
To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in
doing it.
-- G.K. Chesterton

Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
brd@austarmetro.com.au
----------
For Link list information see http://sunsite.anu.edu.au/link/