Pixelated Semantics

A schizotypical inventory

Useless? Search Me...

Microsoft seems to be very autocratic in its interpretation of "user experience": most sane people do not appreciate 'blanket' advertising campaigns, especially those aimed at "brand awareness" for products that are already well-established, or ubiquitous. Their Number 2 man is forewarning of a promotional blitz:

"Ballmer said Microsoft spends about 12 percent of its media budget on online advertising, and that he orders his staff to "saturate" that market first and foremost."

"I want to make sure [a user] can't get through ... an online experience without hitting a Microsoft ad," he said.

Their obsession with Code Names for products is also reaching new heights; the "user experience" itself is now code-named "Aero". This makes for some very awkward reading;

"Aero is the new Windows user experience. Aero consists of guidelines, recommendations, and user experience values that help your applications get the most out of the Microsoft Windows Code Name "Longhorn" pillars: rich presentation (code-named "Avalon"), data (code-named "WinFS"), and communication (code-named "Indigo")."

Imagine speaking such language: "I'm having a bad aero after avalon didn't indigo as expected!"

Their own search engine does not even deliver a proper definition for "user experience" - possibly it depends on the promotional imperatives of the day. Rather like re-writing the dictionary every time the definition of a word is inconvenient, or should I say, isn't indigo.

In a fortuitous peice of timing, MS has also announced establishment of a Search Engine dedicated to Blogs. However, they leave no doubt that the indexes of this "service" will be micro-managed according to Microsoft's own "standards":

"The company said MSN Blogbot will debut in the first half of the year... The service will not index all blogs, just the ones that MSN determines provide the most useful information, a company official said. "

The idea of Microsoft, or any Corporation in their position, defining whether or not a web site carries "useful information" carries strong connotations of censorship and cultural predjudice.

Item posted by AutoEditor at 11:47 am ::