Using NGOs to Push Agendas
,----[ Quote ]
| The extent to which Microsoft can go in its efforts to get OOXML is
| interesting. Microsoft has "persuaded" several non-profit organizations to
| bombard the Indian IT Secretary and the Additional Director General of the
| Bureau of Indian Standards with letters supporting its OOXML proposal. A copy
| of the form letter they have been circulating to NGOs is given below.
| Somebody should interview these NGOs to see how much they really know about
| OOXML and open standards.
|
| The sequence of events leading up to the spamming of GoI? is:
|
| Letter from an NGO thanking Microsoft (name changed to protect their
identity)
`----
http://wiki.linux-delhi.org/cgi-bin/twiki/view/OpenStandards/MsNgoLobby
Done many times before. Lisa Rajchel (ISO), Sweden, England, apparently
Malaysia also. Microsoft makes AstroTurfing a standard.
Related:
The Open XML Lie
,----[ Quote ]
| The basic premise of Rob's article was that the Microsoft Open
| XML Specification was similar to creating a job description
| that would allow for only one qualified respondent. Such a
| job description might read as follows:
|
| * 5 years experience with Java, J2EE and web development, PHP, XSLT
| * Fluency in French and Corsican
| * Experience with the Llama farming industry
| * Mole on left shoulder
| * Sister named Bridgette
`----
http://3monkeyweb.com/3monkeys/2007/01/17/the-open-xml-lie/
The Formats of Excel 2007
http://www.robweir.com/blog/2007/01/formats-of-excel-2007.html
Is Office Open XML A One-Way Standard? Ask Microsoft
http://blogs.adobe.com/shebanation/2006/12/open_xml_one-way.html
Novell's "Danaergeschenk", by Georg Greve
http://groklaw.net/article.php?story=20061208135621706
Microsoft Using YouTube To Promote Vista & Live, Leaves Comments Open
,----[ Quote ]
| The more interesting aspect is that Microsoft would use the Google owned
| YouTube for such as promotion; it certainly demonstrates just how powerful
| the market position of YouTube has become over the last 2 years that
| Microsoft would use it to promote their products.
`----
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/30/microsoft-using-youtube-to-promote-vista-live-leaves-comments-open/
http://tinyurl.com/2ghzzm
[Viral Site] August 22nd 2007 - Wassup?
,----[ Quote ]
| A strange web site entitled 'Site of Champions' has appeared with Microsoft's
| viral PR fingerprints all over it, together with plentiful references to
| August 22nd 2007.
`----
http://www.theabovedomain.com/cms/content/view/300/
Viral Marketing Leads to Mock Gunfight
,----[ Quote ]
| The latest in a series of attempts around the world to mimic the
| segment that, according to media analysts, amounts to free "viral
| advertising" for Microsoft Corp.
|
| The latest incident took place on Tuesday in the cafeteria at
| South Carleton High School when a crowd of students shot finger
| guns at one another and feigned death by either falling or
| slumping to the ground.
`----
http://www.onthexbox.com/news981.html
Halo 3 viral marketing begins, countdowns and flyers galore
,----[ Quote ]
| reports that the campaign officially began this past weekend, with the
| distribution of flyers in New York City and London, bearing the apparent logo
| of the campaign, and the message "We are not alone." At the moment, it's
| unknown who's behind the campaign, although the absence of the
| term "Alternate Reality Game" might indicate that it's not 42 Entertainment,
| the viral veterans behind Halo 2's ilovebees campaign.
`----
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/18/halo-3-viral-marketing-begins-countdowns-and-flyers-galore/
WhatsWrongWithU
,----[ Quote ]
| The site is targetted to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea, with an
| abrasive attempt at in your face attitude. However, one has to
| wonder if the whole thing will come off as more than a little insulting.
`----
http://www.armchairempire.com/News/?p=187
Those Microsoft Vista ads are really bizarre
,----[ Quote ]
| I know that Martin is a spokesman for the product, and he even
| starred in some of the spots, but they were very confusing and
| offputting, especially if you tuned into the special halfway
| through and didn't hear anything about Microsoft Vista.
|
| Actually, the whole idea behind the ads makes me think someone
| at the ad agency or Microsoft is a Lost fan. The old guy in
| charge of an odd secret organizations (The Institute For
| Advanced Personhood), telling you to go to a site that will
| help you get rid of your clutter, the retro look of the spots,
| the use of old footage and computers. Very Hanso-ish, very viral.
| But I wonder if they're too odd to be successful?
`----
http://www.adjab.com/2007/01/15/those-microsoft-vista-ads-are-really-bizarre/
Microsoft Project origami
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqVszfrB_VI&eurl=
Microsoft's mystery game is Vista promo
,----[ Quote ]
| A mysterious online countdown. USB drives containing cipher keys.
| Notes and videos from a woman who calls herself Loki. Bloggers'
| reports of extravagant gifts, marked with a return address for
| Microsoft's headquarters.
|
| And all trails leading to a Web site for something called
| Vanishing Point.
|
| After weeks of sifting through clues, bloggers, gamers and
| technology enthusiasts got some relief this week when
| Microsoft Corp. revealed that Vanishing Point is part of a
| viral-marketing campaign for Vista, the new PC operating
| system set for a consumer launch later this month.
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070109/ap_on_hi_te/gadget_show_vista_promotion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictitious_company_names_used_by_Microsoft
Whatever Happened To The Origami?
,----[ Quote ]
| Ultimately Origami is a classic example of how a viral buzz can
| work against a product release. Expectations were too high and the
| final product was puzzling and didn't fulfill any specific consumer
| demand. By the time the systems were actually released the hype had
| died down and there was practically zero consumer awareness. I've
| actually considered the possibility that the viral Origami campaign
| was a warm-up for the Zune campaign that followed later in the summer.
`----
http://www.medialoper.com/hot-topics/hardware/whatever-happened-to-the-origami/
Notable examples of viral marketing
,----[ Quote ]
| # ilovebees.com - viral marketing for Halo 2
| # Hotmail, promoted largely by links at the bottoms of emails sent by
| its users, is the classic viral marketing example
| # Microsoft's Origami Project campaign
| # Microsoft's Xbox 360 campaign, called OurColony
`----
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viral_marketing
Has Demetri Martin Jumped the Shark by Getting Into Bed with Microsoft?
Clarification on "Clearification" Marketing Campaign
,----[ Quote ]
| When I first saw the Clearification website, I just thought it was
| Demetri's new project. But I did wonder why the videos were of such
| high production value. Turns out that Microsoft is footing the bill
| to not only this site, but are also underwritting his current tour.
`----
http://www.themodernage.org/2006/11/12/demetri-martin-bring-clearification-to-the-web/
Stop Digital Amnesia: 'Quattro' Home Server viral campaign?
,----[ Quote ]
| Another day, another Microsoft viral campaign. This time, The fake
| Center for Digital Amnesia Awareness has launched an online campaign called
| "Stop Digital Amnesia" (via Furrygoat) - a medical-like project
| discussing the problems and solution for a made-up disorder called
| "digital amnesia".
`----
http://www.istartedsomething.com.nyud.net:8080/20061225/stop-digital-amnesia/
Clearification just got a whole lot clearer
,----[ Quote ]
| It's been nearly two weeks since I first reported
| about Microsoft's viral marketing campaign for Windows
| Vista called Clearification. Back then, the relationship
| between the campaign and Windows Vista was extremely
| vague and confusing. But now, Clearification has just
| posted the second installment of the "Demetri Martin
| finds Clearification" videos. Everything is clearer
| now.
`----
http://www.istartedsomething.com/20061023/clearification-ep2/
Intel goes in for viral marketing
,----[ Quote ]
| Why spend a fortune on conventional advertising when you can do it by
| the back door.
`----
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36302
FTC Moves to Unmask Word-of-Mouth Marketing
,----[ Quote ]
| The Federal Trade Commission yesterday said that companies engaging
| in word-of-mouth marketing, in which people are compensated to
| promote products to their peers, must disclose those relationships.
|
| [...]
|
| Word-of-mouth marketing can take any form of peer-to-peer communication,
| such as a post on a Web blog, a MySpace.com page for a movie character,
| or the comments of a stranger on a bus.
|
| As the practice has taken hold over the past several years, however,
| some advocacy groups have questioned whether marketers are using such
| tactics to dupe consumers into believing they are getting unbiased
| information.
`----
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/11/AR2006121101389.html?nav=hcmodule
Bloggers must disclose sponsored posts
,----[ Quote ]
| A company that helps advertisers connect with bloggers willing to write
| about their products for payment will now require disclosures amid
| criticism and a regulatory threat.
`----
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061221/ap_on_hi_te/techbit_blog_disclosures
Corporate Propaganda Still On the News: Study Finds Local Stations
Overwhelmingly Fail to Disclose VNRs
,----[ Quote ]
| A new study by the Center for Media and Democracy says Americans are
| still being shown corporate public relations videos disguised as news
| reports on newscasts across the country.
`----
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/14/1518200
|
|
