Microsoft has traded its exclusive deal to plaster Facebook with banner advertising for the right to pump Google-style contextual search ads on the profit-lite website. The switcheroo was tossed into yesterday's attempt by Steve Ballmer to convince analysts that he's still the world's top chair-flinging sweaty software kingpin in the wake of the Yahoo! bid debacle.

Boydroid CEO Mark Zuckerberg claims that he isn't interested in making money and that his once-buzzy firm is focused on "adding value" for users. The truth however is that Facebook needs to demonstrate to its real customers and chiefs - advertisers and venture capitalists - that it is anything more valuable than a complicated web spam generator. Especially after the world was shocked - shocked! - to discover the site isn't really worth $15bn.

View: The full story @ The Reg



There are 28 additional comments
Advertisement
(1 reply) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #1 Posted by XerXis on 25 Jul 2008 - 12:07
this sounds like a real objective news item ... not
Quote this comment #1.1 Posted by sphbecker on 25 Jul 2008 - 12:38
No kidding! I wonder what the writer thinks about Microsoft? Its so hard to tell...
(1 reply) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #2 Posted by evok_ on 25 Jul 2008 - 12:53
I love the "It's another attempt to railroad people into using Live Search almost by default, ..." I suppose if some deal had been in the works with google instead, it wouldn't have been google railroading people to use google search, but instead a step in the right direction...
Quote this comment #2.1 Posted by Ender2070 on 26 Jul 2008 - 15:29
Exactly

Microsoft Sucks
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #3 Posted by mrmckeb on 25 Jul 2008 - 13:13
CROWBAR? Like they walked into Facebook server room and smashed open a few PCs, jamming Live Search into them.

I know the incredibly unbias The Register is responsible for this, but Neowin could have used a different source... like Liveside (who despite their name, are somewhat objective).
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #4 Posted by zarniwoop on 25 Jul 2008 - 13:26
"world's top chair-flinging sweaty software kingpin" ...hey that's my wife's pet name for me!
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #5 Posted by duritz on 25 Jul 2008 - 13:37
this article makes no sense.
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #6 Posted by nonick on 25 Jul 2008 - 14:13
"specially after the world was shocked - shocked! - to discover the site isn't really worth $15bn."

So it worth more?
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #7 Posted by RPDL on 25 Jul 2008 - 14:29
I'm sorry, this is such a poorly titled subjective article.

Please Neowin people, choose articles that are neutral.
(2 replies) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #8 Posted by C_Guy on 25 Jul 2008 - 14:47
"Boydroid CEO Mark Zuckerberg claims that he isn't interested in making money and that his once-buzzy firm is focused on "adding value" for users."

Hhmmm.... that sounds familiar.

Now, what Internet search giant have I heard rambling on about 'enhancing' a 'user experience' which turned out to be a pretty way of saying "SELL ADS"... Oh that's right, Google!

Anyone else insulted? How incredibly stupid do these search companies think we are? "Oh, ok, search engine, ENHANCE my search by advertising to me, oh baby I LOVE ads! Ohhh I am SO enhanced right now this is FANTASTIC!"
Quote this comment #8.1 Posted by antareus on 25 Jul 2008 - 15:53
Hahaha, this comment is hilarious...mostly cause its true.

We need more people that expose this **** for what it is.
Quote this comment #8.2 Posted by DemonicHawk on 25 Jul 2008 - 22:20
hahahaha your comment is too funny
(1 reply) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #9 Posted by stifler6478 on 25 Jul 2008 - 15:55
I don't usually have any problems with the news on this site, but this article is ridiculous.

And ftr, I've been using Live Search over Google for a couple years now with no regrets - it's a great search engine.

-Spenser
Quote this comment #9.1 Posted by Ender2070 on 26 Jul 2008 - 15:31
It's great if you want sponsored links first, Thanks Microsoft for giving me a reason to leave Facebook
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #10 Posted by brianshapiro on 25 Jul 2008 - 16:22
Sort of like Google search is crowbared into MySpace.

christ
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #11 Posted by j2006 on 25 Jul 2008 - 17:14
Whoever wrote this article is an idiot!

If you guys want a more apporpriate and true article on this topic.. read this:
http://www.liveside.net/blogs/main/archive/2008/07/24/live-search-coming-to-facebook.aspx
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #12 Posted by z_rudy on 25 Jul 2008 - 22:12
The Register? Are you kidding me?! Who reads this so-called news site, let alone trust what it publishes... tsk
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #13 Posted by RPDL on 25 Jul 2008 - 23:04
Recently we've been seeing many biased sensationalist exaggerated articles, and articles from the same sites many of us disapprove of keep popping up.

Fix this. After all:
"Neowin.net - Where unprofessional journalism looks better".
(5 replies) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #14 Posted by twistedddx on 26 Jul 2008 - 04:24
This article is confusing. It makes little to no sense. All I understand is the guy is hating on Microsoft with no given reason for it.

Terrible news.
Quote this comment #14.1 Posted by Ender2070 on 26 Jul 2008 - 15:35
Makes perfect sense. I wouldn't want Microsoft's gay live search forced upon me either
Quote this comment #14.2 Posted by Rolith on 26 Jul 2008 - 16:29
using "gay" as an insult - Check.
ignoring the fact that use of a search engine is always a choice and never "forced" on anyone that has a open connection to the internet - Check.
endorsing filth like this as legitimate story - Check.

You, my friend, lose at the Internets.
Quote this comment #14.3 Posted by Ender2070 on 26 Jul 2008 - 17:06
(Rolith said @ #14.2)
using "gay" as an insult - Check.
ignoring the fact that use of a search engine is always a choice and never "forced" on anyone that has a open connection to the internet - Check.
endorsing filth like this as legitimate story - Check.

You, my friend, lose at the Internets.


Your right its not forced, unless I want to use Facebook.
Quote this comment #14.4 Posted by brianshapiro on 27 Jul 2008 - 02:30
(Ender2070 said @ #14.3)
(Rolith said @ #14.2)
using "gay" as an insult - Check.
ignoring the fact that use of a search engine is always a choice and never "forced" on anyone that has a open connection to the internet - Check.
endorsing filth like this as legitimate story - Check.

You, my friend, lose at the Internets.


Your right its not forced, unless I want to use Facebook.


Talking back to Rolith - Check.

Quote this comment #14.5 Posted by +vlsi0n on 27 Jul 2008 - 10:17
Practicing poor punctuation - Check.
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #15 Posted by j2006 on 27 Jul 2008 - 05:06
Dude read your facts.. it's not forced... they're just working on a deal to provide a back bone to the search and possibly allow web search from within Facebook... if you don't like that.. then go to your preferred search engine site.. simple as that.
(2 replies) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #16 Posted by Blaxima on 27 Jul 2008 - 16:53
oh boy , here we go again . Daniel is a tool for jobs and thanks to his man crush on steve Neowin has become the single worst place for news. What a waste of space and bandwidth
Quote this comment #16.1 Posted by Laser_iCE on 27 Jul 2008 - 22:12
(Blaxima said @ #16)
oh boy , here we go again . Daniel is a tool for jobs and thanks to his man crush on steve Neowin has become the single worst place for news. What a waste of space and bandwidth


lmao, I'm only here to agree with you. Been registered for 6 and reading for 7 years and this place has gone down since they let these pesky kids on my lawn.
Quote this comment #16.2 Posted by RPDL on 27 Jul 2008 - 23:17
+1. The articles Daniel are terrible in so many ways.
[1]

Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!

Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.


Scroll to the Top
....
My Preferences
....
Communicating with server
Loading
Please Wait...
....
Loading
 X 
....