Microsoft

Microsoft’s Bing recently announced a search deal with Twitter. They’ve created a new page meant to show hot topics on Twitter. Here’s what that page looked like at 10:22pm, October 21, right after the Bing-Twitter deal went public:

Microsoft’s Windows 7? Really? “Thong Song” makes sense — it was being performed on Glee at the time. Modern Family was on, and the next Angels vs. Yankees game was around the corner. But that many people were chattering about Windows 7? If they’re buzzing about a Microsoft venture, wouldn’t it more likely be Bing itself, given the day’s news?

Here’s Twitter’s official Trending Topics block at the same moment, 10:22pm:

There’s Glee, “Thong Song,” baseball, dumb Kanye jokes… nothing about Windows or Microsoft.

And, for a third-party perspective, here’s Twitscoop’s hot trends cloud, also from 10:22pm, same night:

Thong is on fire right now! The Phillies are playing as we speak! REPORTING LIVE FROM THE INTERNET: Isn’t anybody as excited about Microsoft Windows 7 as they are about Cougar Town??

The Moral Moment

Clearly, Windows 7 is not actually hot on Twitter at the moment. It’s not presented on the Bing page as an ad, but what else to call it? If Microsoft wants to advertise Windows 7 on their Twitter page, that’s fine. But this kind of thing just makes them look old and out of touch. What happens when the unsatisfied Windows 7 users start piping up? Think their tweets will appear on Bing.com?

The Bing commercials are right: it’s not just a search engine. It’s a Microsoft ad.

All-around A++++ would link again great move by Microsoft: their Browser For The Better project offers to donate sixteen meals to Feeding America for every user who upgrades from IE6 to IE8.

If any tech-savvy individuals needed one more reason to encourage their grandpas and office IT guys to join the times, this is it. Don’t you sort of want to download IE6 just to upgrade it?

• A lengthly behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming Beatles Rock Band game: While My Guitar Gently Beeps. Supplemental materials: the game’s more-or-less entire tracklist, and a hands-on.
• Been waiting all morning to see some ugly, really ugly couches formerly owned by the visionaries behind websites you use everyday? Your wait is over: Where 14 of the top internet businesses were started.
• A 73-year-old Harlem businessman defended himself and his employees from four robbers, neutralizing all four by firing only three shots! Safe to assume New York’s uptown criminals have marked his business with a Do Not Rob tag on their iPhone maps apps.

Bonus editorial commentary

Some deserve second chances: Philadelphia Eagles head coach talks about signing Mike Vick. Other items have had more than sufficient opportunities to get with the program: IE6 Cannot Die.

3. Seeing these two things within like five minutes of each other: Digg would prefer to not put up with IE6 and Digg is among the slowest 11% of all websites. Did this amuse anybody else?
2. Four dozen husbands
1. Via Rafi Kam: Flaming Garbage Cans in Hip-Hop Videos. What more could you ever ask for?

Special bizarre bonus: In many markets, coming up with a catchy piece of linkbait isn’t all that difficult. But the big, strange market of SEO people selling SEO stuff to other SEO people is different. It’s pretty much all been seen and done, daily. But every now and then somebody gets just weird enough…