Microsoft Wants Me!

Well, maybe Microsoft doesn't really want me.

But I sure found this interesting.

It's a site at Microsoft that looks just like this little blog. Or it was. It seems that, as of this writing, they've done away with it. But here's a screenshot of what they had.



Yes, that's what this little blog looked like on September 1st. And what that Microsoft Research site looked like. That URL you see is for real.

I have no idea what they were up to. It indicates it's in their community section. And under the "smater_blogroll" directory. Then, this little blog listed.

I suspect the research team was just doing some testing of a blogrolling functionality that they'll add to MSN Spaces or something. Why they'd pick this little blog is beyond me.

That Microsoft thing ... along with the e-blogzone site that Conservative Cat wrote about the other day ... makes me wonder what's going on.

Eblogzone? Looks like a bunch of spammers to me. Using my content. I guess I should feel honored. But I don't.

But Microsoft using my content for research? Hmmm. Perhaps I'm just reading more into it than I should. Maybe. Maybe not.

Maybe Microsoft does want me.

Hey, I'm easy. And cheap.

But I use Firefox. So I'm screwed.

UPDATE:
Microsoft has explained to some degree:

This directory is being used for a temporary internal research project on blogging software, and will be removed by 9/17/2006.

Microsoft does not claim intellectual property rights over this content, nor do the pages stored here necessarily express the views of Microsoft or its employees.

It doesn't explain why they're using Firefox to check us out. In which case I'm not screwed. Maybe they do want me after all?

Nah.