[vox] [OT] Microsoft ad - what does it mean?

[Bob Scofield]

On Monday 18 April 2005 00:03, Bill Kendrick wrote:
> On Sun, Apr 17, 2005 at 11:15:19AM -0700, Marianne Waage wrote:
> > Again, google saves the day:
> > 	http://www.netimperative.com/2005/04/13/Microsoft_viral
>
> Ah, okay!  So one of my guesses (other than: "they were smoking crack")
> was right.  They're insulting their customer base! ;^)
>
But note the reference to humor ("humour").  Here's what I think.  Several 
years ago advertisers were reading skateboard magazines, and noticed a 
bizarre type of humor popular with the kids.  So advertising has tried to 
appeal to this humor in order to attract younger customers.  The clearest 
example can be seen in the beer commercials we've seen on TV for the last 
three years.  So I think this Microsoft ad campaign is designed to appeal to 
the younger generation.

And Microsoft might want to be concerned with the younger generation.  I 
recently read about Novell's contract with the federal government.  
Supposedly, the federal government is looking at the prospect of a lot of 
people retiring over the next few years, and is planning on a major Linux 
migration when new workers are hired to replace the people retiring. 

Bob