Sometimes, when something looks like a fizzy scoop, it totally isn't.

I'm still restricting my viewing of news. More often than not, I want the time back. Weather report, please, but hold those personal interest stories; which stations/networks seem to have increased to water down the newsy proof that we are all going to hell in a handbasket. Incidently, I own my own handbasket. So perhaps one ring of hell is reserved for handbasket owners and we get our own personal "thank you" on arrival and a nice fruit and cheese plate. I like to be prepared.

Anyway, works on blogs. 'Specially newsy blogs from newspapers. Bloggy, newsy goodness. Like the news, only minus the required fact-checking? I don't know....what is a newspaper blog? Your chocolate is in my peanut butter.

Anyway, sometimes something that looks all awesomely news-worthy really isn't. Take this as an example: Microsoft's coolers are filled with Talking Rain (for you out-of-staters: fizzy water) that has the Bing logo on it (and Todd Bishop's post on TechFlash here). ZOMG!

 

(photo from the Seattle PI story)

Microsoft went to all that effort to be able to develop custom cans to market their own search engine to their employees? They shelled out a ton of marketing cash to get a company to offer us custom cans?  Here's the catch kids, and really it's a question: where else have you seen Talking Rain in a can? Oh, really? Nowhere? I wonder why that is. Could it be that Microsoft is a major customer and the Washington-based company puts it in cans so it fits in our refrigerators? They do it so they can make more money. Hmmm. Now the Bing logo doesn't seem like a big deal, does it? They make the cans for us anyway. Not quite the marketing conspiracy it appears to be. (Anyone have cans for other MS products? Sadly for the cost centers: no cans for you!)

Of course, I have to ask "is it you or is it me?" Is there someone in our PR department that would give a "no comment" when asked about this?  Or do we "just not ask" when it comes to a "newspaper blog?" What's a newspaper blog again?

In breaking Microsoft news: we have both yellow and white legal pads in the supply room.

Only because I know how he rolls: Todd Bishop replies in 3...2...1.

Comments

• Anonymous
  September 18, 2009
  The visuals this can conjures:

• 150 years from now of some be be-speckled archeologist digging up a BING can with a hand shovel -  “ what a find, a piece of Seattle history, equivalent only to the Starbucks cup at the Smithsonian” Or: "this BING can is a piece of American history, a true relic, in auction it could easily go for 10 billion American pesos" A-La Antique Roadshow And. Imagine if the port-a-let company started branding their water, wonder the reaction… Good stuff Heather – M-soft is unique!

• Anonymous
  September 18, 2009
  The comment has been removed

• Anonymous
  September 21, 2009
  Derek, I am sure some folks on the Bing team have kept one of these to commemorate the launch. I imagine working so hard toward the introduction of a product, I would want to collect some memorabilia (OK, pretty sure I spelled that wrong). Chris - what gave you the idea that I was "hating"? The point of the post is that it's not a news story. I'm guessing you didn't read the blog post. No hate there.

• Anonymous
  September 24, 2009
  I had Talking Rain in a can at Getty Images and I have Talking Rain in a can here at F5. Amazingly enough, the world does not revolve around Microsoft.

• Anonymous
  September 24, 2009
  ZOMG, seriously? We had it first. No, seriously. I'm not a "newspaper blog" so you'll have to excuse me if I don't dig into the story more. But again...alert the presses! The concept of the world revolving around Microsoft is a physical impossibility. This isn't about soda cans, is it Scott? Come on.