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Re: LinkExchange, one more time.


Microsoft has admitted there is only one thing they want from
LinkExchange, and it makes sense:  They want the customer data that
LinkExchange has so they can sell it for targetted advertising.

I wrote them yesterday informing them that I wanted to cancel my
membership.  I will be pulling all LinkExchange, LE FastCounter, and
related content off of my site this weekend.

I don't know if it will help, because they've already got the
information from me, but I'll feel better about it.

The free software community is annoyed, because many of them support
linkexchange.  It is likely that a free software alternative will
appear, sort of like www.cddb.org has done for the CD library world.

Sujal

Mitch Stone wrote:
> 
> --- From a message sent by Brett Glass on 11/6/98 9:07 AM ---
> 
> >LinkExchange represents a big chunk of the hits and
> >income garnered by some sites -- especially some smaller
> >ones. Now comes Microsoft, saying, "Do you want to lose
> >that revenue stream? If not, make your site 'show off
> >at least two key features' of Internet Explorer.'"
> >(Those features will, of course, make your page harder
> >or even impossible to view with Navigator. Remember
> >Appendix C of Microsoft's IEAK contract for ISPs?)
> >
> >"Oh, and you must promote IE, adopt IE for internal
> >use, and drop the Netscape button from your site."
> 
> In view of the current scrutiny of such arrangements, it would be more
> than unwise for Microsoft to pull such a scam. Which doesn't mean it
> won't happen.
> 
> Incidentally, my site was denied LinkExchange membership under the
> original ownership (quite a distinction, really). I wonder if I should
> try again...
> 
>    Mitch Stone
>    Editor, Boycott Microsoft
>    http://www.vcnet.com/bms
>  +---
>    Who needs horror movies when we have Microsoft?
>              --- Christine Comaford, PC Week

-- 
------ Sujal Shah ---- sujal@worldnet.att.net

       http://home.att.net/~sujal/
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