If you’re unfamiliar with Microsoft’s “Scroogled” campaign, it’s basically the latest in Microsoft’s long crusade to paint Google as the bad guy. It’s no surprise that Google and Microsoft are at each other’s throats these days – or, I should say Microsoft is at Google’s throat. The two giants occupy very similar spaces, they both have successful mobile operating system platforms, and they both operate services on the web such as search, maps and e-mail. Of course, we all know which one of the two is the more successful company when it comes to the Web. Bill Gates famously sent a memo around his company detailing the missed opportunity that was the Internet and how that was to be their focus going forward. I really hope that this “Scroogled” campaign is not how Microsoft hope to take the web back.
If you want to learn a little more about the Scroogled campaign, then just head on over to the website, and take a look at some of the videos. After just a few minutes, you’ll realize that Microsoft are trying their best to paint Google as the nosy, unscrupulous web deviant they want everyone to view them as. Things such as Google going through every word of your e-mail and spying on your every move are a little far-fetched. On a personal note, I am no stranger to Microsoft’s services and I’m by no means an “All Google, All the Time” kind of guy but, GMail is a massive part of my life. Do I dislike the ads that are on there, sure, do they bother me? No. They don’t bother me because I pay no attention to them and as for me worrying about Google going through all of my e-mails, if I didn’t want it on the Internet for someone to trawl through; I wouldn’t put it into my web browser. I feel perfectly secure using Google’s servers for a lot of things.
Now, on to Chrome which is the focus of this latest attack from Microsoft. Apparently, this video was “leaked” from Microsoft but, the fact that it’s available to watch in quality up to 1080p suggests to me a controlled leak. This wouldn’t be the first time Microsoft have failed at a viral campaign; does anyone remember #droidrage? We all know that Chrome has become a big deal for Google; it’s also become the world’s most used web browser. Now that Chrome is on our PCs, smartphones and tablets browsing the web has gotten a lot easier but, Microsoft don’t seem happy with that – not one bit.
Google have been advertising Chrome quite heavily recently. Here’s one of Google’s fun-loving ads that gets the point across nicely:
So, there’s nothing wrong with that as an ad from Google, right? Well, I didn’t think so. Now, take a look at Microsoft’s spoof version of the ad:
As you can see, the message here is very much the same: Google is bad, Google is evil. Now, I’m not out to discuss privacy matters – that’s a discussion for another day – but, does the idea of Google making money from an ad you see because you once searched for “Game of Thrones” on Google really bother you? It doesn’t me, that’s for sure.
Overall, I dislike this approach from Microsoft and not because I have anything against Microsoft, despite my many years using Linux I rely on Windows 7 day-to-day and to get my fix from Steam but, because this is not really doing Microsoft any good. Their products simply cannot match up, they have great potential but, they have a long to go. So, instead of Microsoft bashing on Chrome; why don’t they finally do something good with IE?
[Source: 9to5Google]