Microsoft always do this with search engines. They seem to start from the assumption that any query represents a user problem, for which there exists a Microsoft based solution. Looked at that way, a search engine becomes an exercise in derailing the users interest, and redirecting into more profitable channels.
It never seems to occur to them that people might be genuinely interested in results that reflect what they actually want.
It never seems to occur to them that people might be genuinely interested in results that reflect what they actually want.
Sounds like the work of a bad programmer. Who else would take a question from a user and assume they know what the user really wants?
Yup, programs need to verify that what they assume the user wants is correct:
(loads an animated paper clip via Silverlight) "Hi, I'm Bing. It seems that you're looking for Windows prices. What do you want me to do? - Find the best price for Windows Vista? - Find the best price for Windows 7? - Find the worst price for MacOS? - Find out why free software is bad for you?"
All science is either physics or stamp collecting.
-- Ernest Rutherford
And? (Score:5, Insightful)
Surprised, why?
Re: (Score:5, Interesting)
Surprised it took them this long, perhaps.
Microsoft always do this with search engines. They seem to start from the assumption that any query represents a user problem, for which there exists a Microsoft based solution. Looked at that way, a search engine becomes an exercise in derailing the users interest, and redirecting into more profitable channels.
It never seems to occur to them that people might be genuinely interested in results that reflect what they actually want.
And then the
Re:And? (Score:5, Insightful)
It never seems to occur to them that people might be genuinely interested in results that reflect what they actually want.
Sounds like the work of a bad programmer. Who else would take a question from a user and assume they know what the user really wants?
Re: (Score:2)
Who else? How about almost anyone in marketing? "The public wants what the public gets" and all that jazz?
Re: (Score:2)
It never seems to occur to them that people might be genuinely interested in results that reflect what they actually want.
Sounds like the work of a bad programmer. Who else would take a question from a user and assume they know what the user really wants?
Yup, programs need to verify that what they assume the user wants is correct:
(loads an animated paper clip via Silverlight)
"Hi, I'm Bing. It seems that you're looking for Windows prices. What do you want me to do?
- Find the best price for Windows Vista?
- Find the best price for Windows 7?
- Find the worst price for MacOS?
- Find out why free software is bad for you?"