Whoops: Microsoft Touts Search Accuracy Using Mistake

Enough with the Gawker Investigations.

Isn't it supposed to be an intentional mistake though? saying the other search engines return fake results?

Gareth Gibson

The ads seem to be saying that search engines return TOO MUCH data and that the new Bing will only show you what you are looking for. Quite an impossible task I would say.

My first Bing comparison with Google, a search for the term "windows" (lowercase):

Both engines return, not surprisingly, references to some obscure computer operating system (now who's fault is that?)

Both engines on the other hand produce ADS for places to buy home improvement hardware.

Only Google though also provides non-ad links to places like Anderson Windows in the first page. Google also provides (on the first page) links to programs that run on Windows, (Gimp, VLC, Acrobat, DivX).

Seems FAR more likely, by taking a broader view to what the word "windows" means the Google page returns better results, allowing the "artificial intelligence" of my brain to quickly do the rest. With the Bing results (which produces longer pages that must be scrolled) I still don't find Anderson Windows until I get to the second logical page. I suspect this issue will be repeated with many terms that can have several disjoint meanings as I doubt Microsoft is going into the home improvement business too.

Some software vendors may be disappointed that they don't start showing up in association with Windows until page 10 of the Bing results. Some things never change.

Also: Google provides a map with locations of local windows (home improvement variety) dealers on the very first page.

Bing provides no such map as far as I got tired of clicking (past page 10).

Both engines DO provide pictures of a rodent when you search for "mouse" and both point to the Wikipedia article on the rodent, rather than the pointing device. It is good to know that our language hasn't been entirely corrupted by modern overloading of common terms.

I agree with this commercial, the Breakfast Club was in 1986. Here's a few other correct dates.

Shampoo was released in 1976.

Miami Vice ran from 1925 to 1930

Roadhouse's principal photography began in 25 BC.

Depending on what country you lived in the late 80s this commercial would be right and wrong.

The release date of "Breakfast Club" in the majority of the world was in 1985, but for Hong Kong and Japan it was 1986. Methinks someone from Hong Kong or Japan was the fact checker and screwed up.

That's what Microsoft get for outsourcing their fact check jobs. LOL

CLY

Isn't the first sign your internet product sucks that you advertise it on TV? I don't remember Google ever doing TV spots. I certainly remember Yahoo! and Ask.com doing TV ads.
Sure there is search overload on occasion. But I also feel that way about Bing's look. It's too busy.

What a fucking ugly commercial!

Don Servillas

Whoever wrote this looked up the year, found the copyright date and did not bother to look up the release date.

Kitten_Witawip

Coupla new job openings in advertising.

Xinnix

So they'll fix it when they update the commercial in three years?

Cecil's Wielder

Ah, close enough for Microsoft.

This commercial may be bad, but it has NOTHING on the HP netbook commercial.

"Wow, I'm so--"

"Envious? Jealous? Wish you were me?"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP *pushes off pier*"

randomnessish

I want to peel off John Hodgman's face after watching that commercial.

Awesome X

that is awesome sauce with a side of awesome sauce

Is it just me or is there some racially offensive material in there?

Uhm. The year screwup was nothing. The "mistake" was this ad itself.

squidbait

This commercial makes me homicidal.

@CLY: And keeping with the 1986 aesthetic, "Yeah Breakfast Club, Hong Kong, 1986, yeah that's it, that's the ticket...

@Steve Holt's Mother Part Deux: Heh heh thanks.

@macbeach: Nice analysis. That is exactly the kind of thing I don't like about google. No matter how many time you have typed windows and click on microsoft link; the next time you type windows it would try to sell you home improvement stuff. It has too broader view almost as if dumping 'all' the information in the world for me to process. It is not necessary a good thing in terms of search engine. dumping 10000 links doesn't give me the answer I am looking. Although, not sure if bing is the right answer; information overload is certainly an issue when your queries are generic or longer.

tillman

@MrHaroHaro: Bing-o

methinks that's what they have to fix first-- the English languages.

@Steve Holt's Mother Part Deux:

Please tell me it's not seamen. LOL

CLY

@jasonelias: I just came in my mouth a little.

@seyswho: its just you... you're racist! :o