Microsoft to Sell Ad Space in Error Messages

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) announced that it is selling advertising space in the error messages that appear in Windows. Acknowledging for the first time that the average user of their operating system encounters error messages at least several times a day, Microsoft is trying to take financial advantage of the unavoidable opportunity to make an ad impression.

"We estimate that throughout the world at any given moment several million people are getting a 'General Protection Fault' or 'Illegal Operation' warning. We will be able to generate significant revenue by including a short advertising message along with it," said Microsoft marketing director Nathan Mirror. He also mentioned that Microsoft is intended to add banner ads into its Blue Screen of Death in the near future.

The Justice Department immediately indicated that they intend to investigate whether Microsoft is gaining an unfair advantage in reaching the public with this advertising by virtue of its semi-monopolistic control over error messages

Extremely funny sumdumguy. Good post.

If this were true, then we would probably see microsoft putting in even more triggers for the blue screen of death (as if they didn't already have enough of them).

yeah, thats a good one, it would cost loads to place an advert for you company there tho, considering the audience. I am sure some third party companies already have advertising in error messages... P

it wouldnt suprise me a bit if Micro$oft tried to pull something like that, i can see it now

"System error. During the time that Microsoft is using to screw over you machine, please take a moment to spend more of your hard earned money to fund monopolies around the world.

Your system will restart in about 5 seconds. Thank You."

...and then it sends back the marketing information during an "Error Report"

Looks like Bill Gate is not happy with all the money he has and now he wants more

it is funny but sadly we can all see that happening if they thought they could get away with it. It will be their next excuse for all the millions of lines of really lame code...

"This blue screen has been brought to you today by MacDonalds and Bill's quest for world domination..."

LMAO really funny, but what scares me, is that i can see microsoft doing this in the not to distant future...

then what inscentive would they have to 'fix' their oses ?!

Good point, Spirit. I don't think it could ever happen, though... that would completely be considered monopolistic practice: taking advantage of errors within an O/S for advertisement would kill Microsoft in their anti-trust suit, because, as you said, there would be no reason for them to fix the errors... it may even prompt them to release programs too early, full of bugs, because they'll do a cost-analysis and discover that the revenue that they lose due to a drop in sales will be compensated for by the money earned from the advertisers. Scary thought...

AJ

...Another good reason to change to *NIX

ya i can micro$oft doin that in the very new future. if not that then advertizing with the pop ups u can customize when ur comp boots up.
(if anyone who doesn't know how but wants to know is readin this just post a reaply. i'll just assume u all know if u don't)

Since M$ really borrows the works of so many others and say they were the one to inoviate it I'm gonna duck and cover while this is a funny one it just may gave M$ yet another idea. This one would be to funny for the media to latch onto as a ligit story LOL

I would however like to point out they already do this to some extent with their browser. In IE 6 in many cases one will not get a server http: Error it will wisk you off to MS and their lame search engine and guess what you see there yep ads.

I almost believed that. ;)