Roy Schestowitz wrote:
> Wait, bloggers can keep the free laptops after all: Microsoft
>
> ,----[ Quote ]
> | It's like playing peek-a-boo with a child: now Microsoft wants to
> | give you a laptop. Now it doesn't. Now it does.
> `----
> http://apcmag.com/4895/wait_bloggers_can_keep_the_free_laptops_after_all_microsoft
> "Here's a laptop. Write something nice."
Giving press, especially technical columnists, machines for evaluation
purposes isn't that unusual. Letting the columnists keep them is often
a problem for the columnist, not for the company requesting the
evaluation. Most columnists try very hard to maintain at least the
appearance of credibility and impartiality. Accepting what could be
considered a "bribe" or "payola" in the form of keeping a demo box
could impair that perception of impartiality.
Bloggers on the other hand, make their reputations for their "bias".
The assumption is that if someone wants to get an opinion from those
who disagree with the blogger, they can read the follow-ups or read the
blogs of opposition bloggers.
> H-P had a similar strategy for affecting journalists. Microsoft thinks that
> the "blogger" status makes it OK.
> [ HP told WSJ to, 'Go say nice things' ]
>
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/03/wsj_tam_hp/
Keep in mind that HP didn't have to do a lot of arm-twisting. Dow Jones
uses HP_UX servers to publish Walls Street Journal Interactive Edition.
They edit their copy on Solaris workstations, and the reporters use
Windows.
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