Comments on: The True Fiction of Microsoft Live Search http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/ Trusted Insights and Conversations on the Next Wave of Technology Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:35:15 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Can an $80M Ad Campaign Help Microsoft Search? http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-946834 Can an $80M Ad Campaign Help Microsoft Search? Tue, 26 May 2009 03:32:13 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-946834 <p>[...] has tried many tricks, including giving people cash-back rewards, to grab a bigger market share in the search business. The results don’t match the efforts. [...]</p> [...] has tried many tricks, including giving people cash-back rewards, to grab a bigger market share in the search business. The results don’t match the efforts. [...]

]]> By: Why Microsoft Fails to Win Online - GigaOM http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-914785 Why Microsoft Fails to Win Online - GigaOM Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:46:54 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-914785 <p>[...] the web has a certain Moby Dick like quality. Me-too products, muddled branding strategy and constantly playing catchup with competitors has reduced the king of software to a punch line. The more they try, the further they get. In the [...]</p> [...] the web has a certain Moby Dick like quality. Me-too products, muddled branding strategy and constantly playing catchup with competitors has reduced the king of software to a punch line. The more they try, the further they get. In the [...]

]]> By: George Nimeh http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-886565 George Nimeh Tue, 01 Jul 2008 17:52:33 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-886565 <p>Om, first off, I'm a big fan ...</p> <p>Most of the time you're spot on, but I need to take issue with a point in this post. You write, "Remember a company called iWON? Well, despite all the cash and prizes it handed out, it failed miserably."</p> <p>That is simply not true.</p> <p>Actually, while the rest of the first generation of dotcom companies were going bust, iWon was profitable, took on $240M in venture funding, bought Excite in the fire sale, created and/or rolled up a couple other search-related companies, and then sold for just under $500M to Ask.com ... which then sold to Diller for $1.2 billion.</p> <p>I don't think paid search is right for Microsoft, btw. It is about innovation, not buying market share.</p> <p>~G~</p> Om, first off, I’m a big fan …

Most of the time you’re spot on, but I need to take issue with a point in this post. You write, “Remember a company called iWON? Well, despite all the cash and prizes it handed out, it failed miserably.”

That is simply not true.

Actually, while the rest of the first generation of dotcom companies were going bust, iWon was profitable, took on $240M in venture funding, bought Excite in the fire sale, created and/or rolled up a couple other search-related companies, and then sold for just under $500M to Ask.com … which then sold to Diller for $1.2 billion.

I don’t think paid search is right for Microsoft, btw. It is about innovation, not buying market share.

~G~

]]> By: Episode #14 - Shameless Junkee http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-883093 Episode #14 - Shameless Junkee Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:50:00 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-883093 <p>[...] Of Life: Microsoft Confirms Windows 7 for 2010 (17 screenshots) Hot new updates to SkyDrive! The True Fiction of Microsoft Live Search GameStop Gives Up On Zune - Top Stories [...]</p> [...] Of Life: Microsoft Confirms Windows 7 for 2010 (17 screenshots) Hot new updates to SkyDrive! The True Fiction of Microsoft Live Search GameStop Gives Up On Zune – Top Stories [...]

]]> By: Kim http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-881922 Kim Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:13:53 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-881922 <p>Is Microsoft attempting to compete with Ebates? Who owns Ebates?</p> Is Microsoft attempting to compete with Ebates? Who owns Ebates?

]]> By: AayCee http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-881465 AayCee Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:35:53 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-881465 <p>This is such a lame and lazy analysis. It is painting a picture that using money to grow one's bussiness is somehow evil.</p> <p>"Live Search Cashback" is not same as "Google Search" but more like "Google Product Search"(or "Google Shopping"). Having said that it is eay to see the innovative cost-per-acquisition bussiness model in this vertical search segment, which should have been the highlight of the analysis.</p> <p>And don't forget that Google also pays aquire search queries. Searchbox on FireFox, Safari etc. help peddle use of Google's search engine.</p> This is such a lame and lazy analysis. It is painting a picture that using money to grow one’s bussiness is somehow evil.

“Live Search Cashback” is not same as “Google Search” but more like “Google Product Search”(or “Google Shopping”). Having said that it is eay to see the innovative cost-per-acquisition bussiness model in this vertical search segment, which should have been the highlight of the analysis.

And don’t forget that Google also pays aquire search queries. Searchbox on FireFox, Safari etc. help peddle use of Google’s search engine.

]]> By: Jeremy http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-880915 Jeremy Fri, 30 May 2008 08:28:20 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-880915 <p>To me this is not a way of providing good content, but a way of scrambling for more profits from lack of ingenuity. Live search is one of the most cluttered web searches on the web right now and I believe it will continue to decline in popularity to others if Microsoft cannot devise a more "content rich approach" to its search engine. Of course Microsoft will still make money off of this endeavor but will at the same time alienate many of its current users. There is a difference between looking like a sweatshop and looking like a mom and pop shop.</p> To me this is not a way of providing good content, but a way of scrambling for more profits from lack of ingenuity. Live search is one of the most cluttered web searches on the web right now and I believe it will continue to decline in popularity to others if Microsoft cannot devise a more “content rich approach” to its search engine. Of course Microsoft will still make money off of this endeavor but will at the same time alienate many of its current users. There is a difference between looking like a sweatshop and looking like a mom and pop shop.

]]> By: Domain Name Wire » News » Microsoft to Harness Generic Domain CashBack.com for Search - The Domain Industry's News Source http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-880556 Domain Name Wire » News » Microsoft to Harness Generic Domain CashBack.com for Search - The Domain Industry's News Source Wed, 28 May 2008 14:02:41 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-880556 <p>[...] The world was abuzz a couple weeks ago when Microsoft announced its new cashback search engine. Less reported was that Microsoft quietly purchased the domain name [...]</p> [...] The world was abuzz a couple weeks ago when Microsoft announced its new cashback search engine. Less reported was that Microsoft quietly purchased the domain name [...]

]]> By: Microsoft Live Search Cashback: Some Links http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-880384 Microsoft Live Search Cashback: Some Links Tue, 27 May 2008 20:31:19 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-880384 <p>[...] GigaOm Analysis [...]</p> [...] GigaOm Analysis [...]

]]> By: Jerry http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-880220 Jerry Mon, 26 May 2008 22:25:22 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-880220 <p>live.com is actually a decent search engine. In my experience it actually returns better results than Google when searching archives of technical email reflectors.</p> live.com is actually a decent search engine. In my experience it actually returns better results than Google when searching archives of technical email reflectors.

]]> By: Ram http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-880120 Ram Mon, 26 May 2008 07:39:20 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-880120 <p>"We will charge less and crush the competition” - Microsoft</p> <p>We will charge nothing and crush the competition - Google</p> <p>Gmail's huge storage space, free analytics, Jotspot, Writley, NumSum Microsoft seems better to me</p> “We will charge less and crush the competition” – Microsoft

We will charge nothing and crush the competition – Google

Gmail’s huge storage space, free analytics, Jotspot, Writley, NumSum Microsoft seems better to me

]]> By: Suchi http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-879927 Suchi Sat, 24 May 2008 10:25:34 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-879927 <p>MS will try every possible thing it can think of.</p> MS will try every possible thing it can think of.

]]> By: Squawk Box May 23 — Alec Saunders SquawkBox http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-879805 Squawk Box May 23 — Alec Saunders SquawkBox Fri, 23 May 2008 16:32:37 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-879805 <p>[...] commentary was around Microsoft Live Search Cashback. Now that the story is out, and people have had time to digest it and a chance to play with it a bit, some are finding it pretty compelling.  Rich Tehrani gave a [...]</p> [...] commentary was around Microsoft Live Search Cashback. Now that the story is out, and people have had time to digest it and a chance to play with it a bit, some are finding it pretty compelling.  Rich Tehrani gave a [...]

]]> By: shyam http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-879785 shyam Fri, 23 May 2008 14:17:25 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-879785 <p>More thoughtfull and unbiased comments from Om compared to what Mike is trying to push on techcrunch.</p> More thoughtfull and unbiased comments from Om compared to what Mike is trying to push on techcrunch.

]]> By: NoDomainsForSale http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-879743 NoDomainsForSale Fri, 23 May 2008 05:39:05 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-879743 <p>Microsoft would be better off acquiring traffic directly on the ‘buy the Internet’ theme of Kevin Ham, rather than trying to buy consumption itself.</p> <p>A good place for Microsoft to start would be with the acquisition of Seattle-based Marchex, which operates thousands of subject-specific and location-specific portals that sport a mix of imported content and relevant ads.</p> <p>The two companies are located near each other and have compatible corporate cultures.</p> Microsoft would be better off acquiring traffic directly on the ‘buy the Internet’ theme of Kevin Ham, rather than trying to buy consumption itself.

A good place for Microsoft to start would be with the acquisition of Seattle-based Marchex, which operates thousands of subject-specific and location-specific portals that sport a mix of imported content and relevant ads.

The two companies are located near each other and have compatible corporate cultures.

]]> By: ReelSmart.com :: Video, Technology, Digital LifeStyle, Macintosh Tips, and Opinions » Will Bribery Help Microsoft in Search? http://gigaom.com/2008/05/21/the-true-fiction-of-microsoft-live-search/#comment-879707 ReelSmart.com :: Video, Technology, Digital LifeStyle, Macintosh Tips, and Opinions » Will Bribery Help Microsoft in Search? Thu, 22 May 2008 22:58:41 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/?p=13532#comment-879707 <p>[...] Microsoft is planning on offering money just to use their search. Sounds like the 1990’s all over again with the folks from Redmond [...]</p> [...] Microsoft is planning on offering money just to use their search. Sounds like the 1990’s all over again with the folks from Redmond [...]

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