NYT: Costly Gift From Microsoft Is an Invitation to Blog

Excerpt from New York Times Article:

Costly Gift From Microsoft Is an Invitation to Blog
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/01/technology/01vista.html

In Microsoft’s latest attempt to reach out to bloggers, the company recently gave away expensive laptops loaded with its new Windows Vista operating system. But the gifts generated controversy as well as good will, as many in that community accused Microsoft of bribery and their peers of unethical behavior.

MY COMMENT:

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Comments

• Anonymous
  January 01, 2007
  What do you think about the whole thing Frank?

• Anonymous
  January 01, 2007
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  January 01, 2007
  What do i think about the whole thing? WHAT A KERFUFFLE. I'll do a post about it in the next few days

• Anonymous
  January 01, 2007
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  January 01, 2007
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  January 01, 2007
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  January 02, 2007
  I really don't see how anyone could not consider it bribery, considering who was targetted, the timing of the "gift", and the fact that it wasn't done publicly. Of course the bloggers are under no obligation to write nicely about Vista, but if they are too harsh, they may find themselves struck from the list of bloggers who receive such gifts in future. Microsoft picked bloggers who were likely to review Vista. They timed it within a month of the Vista release date. They didn't announce that they were sending anyone laptops, they just left that up to the bloggers. I don't see how receiving nice, expensive, secret gifts right before reviewing a major product couldn't be seen as an attempt to influence the review. Is there any reasonable definition of 'bribery' under which this would not be considered bribery?

• Anonymous
  January 02, 2007
  There obviously is a kerfuffle, as my laptop hasn't arrived yet ;)

• Anonymous
  January 02, 2007
  is everyone here really that naive? come-on this sort of thing has happened since Journalism started. Journos get products, services etc. from companies for "testing" purposes all the time. Is it going to change their opinion? Not as a one off but in the long term who do you think they will remember? The company which send out hats and coffee mugs or the guys which sent fancy laptops... that's one of the reasons why I don't read/ buy Australian PC magazines. Lies lies lies... it's great to be a consumer and vote with your feet.

• Anonymous
  January 03, 2007
  Frank, it's great that you take ethics so seriously. There are a number of questions you need to answer about this. First, Microsoft's own policy towards vendors bans them from giving gifts to your staff, so you clearly understand the problems with expensive gifts. So why did you give expensive gifts to bloggers from whom you expected reviews of Vista? http://larvatusprodeo.net/2007/01/02/guest-post-by-tony-healy-microsoft-sprung/ Second, if your aim was to assist in reviews, why did you exclude professional journalists and experienced reviewers? Third, if you argue the bloggers needed the gifts to do the reviews, why did you send them to MVPs who you know have Vista and good computers already? Fourth, why do you try to shift the blame for this onto the recipients of the laptops? It is Microsoft and Edelman who made these donations, not the bloggers. The bloggers have done nothing wrong, although your actions have exposed some of them to considerable stress.

• Anonymous
  February 01, 2007
  TaDa!, top 20 posts for January 2007 . Old posts continue to be popular. My Elfamorphosis Windows Vista