Is microsoft braking the © law with this new IE feture

[Czar]

http://public.wsj.com/sn/y/SB991862595554629527.html

They are going to put in a feture that allows IE to modify pages before it displays it. So you load up lets say Anandtech.com and there is the word transistor, IE changes the word to a hyperlink to the microsoft website where you can find information about transistors.

Are they braking the law by modifiying the content without the authors permission?

 

[Tripleshot]

WSJ has it wrong. Now check this link out. And read carefully.

WSJ has it wrong

 

[chainbolt]

each & everything what MS does, is rumored to be evil, I get tired

 

[Czar]

He doesnt say its wrong, just that its not exactly as black as the wsj says it is, this is the wrost part.


<< Microsoft also says that other companies, besides itself, will be able to create and distribute add-ons for the browser that will launch their own Smart Tags all over the Web, directing users to their sites. >>


The biggest advertisement scam in the history of the internet? bigger than popups?

 

[Tripleshot]

>>The biggest advertisement scam in the history of the internet? bigger than popups? <<

Or how about what it really is? Just an inovative way to help the consumer and provide more choices. Whats your problem with this? If you don't like Microsoft, remove it from your PC. Then you won't be bothered with this &quot;intrusion&quot; into your space.

sheesh. :disgust:

 

[Czar]

Yes I agree that it seems nice and all. But what tells you that microsoft wont set this on as default when the final version of xp comes or in future IE versions? and what tells you that they wont remove the off button for this feture in the future?

 

[MrBond]

The smart tags themselves don't scare me, its the abuse of them. Imagine if Ford wanted to put their own smart tags on Chevy's pages? Example, Say Chevrolet has a page with their crash test data. Ford's particular vehical in this class did better in crash test ratings then Chevy's. Ford puts a smart tag over the word &quot;Crash Test&quot; and links it back to Ford's site. This may not seem like a bad idea, as the die hard chevy owner will just skip it over. The shopper who is browsing sites for car info may see this, and skip Chevrolet alltogether, due to the fact that Ford's car is better.

Note that this is just a hypothetical situation. I picked Ford/Chevy just because they were two competing companies that came to mind.

This may seem unlikly, especially with the likly outcry that would arise if two large companies did this. But there isn't much stopping small companies that would go un-noticed from doing it. It makes it very easy for a company to put their own tags into anothe companys site, and undercut their prices just enough to lure that sale away.

I don't think MS is out to steal traffic at all. In fact, they would be a really handy resource (the suggestion on ZDNet about linking to a court case when it was referenced in a post comes to mind). I do think there is the possibility for abuse. Time will tell if we see it or not.

I know for a fact, I'll be turning them off on any page I make. Lets hope everyone knows that option exists.

 

[Delphiki]

<< Example, Say Chevrolet has a page with their crash test data. Ford's particular vehical in this class did better in crash test ratings then Chevy's. Ford puts a smart tag over the word &quot;Crash Test&quot; and links it back to Ford's site. This may not seem like a bad idea, as the die hard chevy owner will just skip it over. >>



And how, specifically, would the Ford smart tags get on someone's PC?

 

[Czar]

<< And how, specifically, would the Ford smart tags get on someone's PC? >>


Microsoft would sell tags, probably very pricey but Ford can afford it. When the tag is sold then it would be loaded into a database where the browsers get them from, probably. But it seems this is the plan.





<< I know for a fact, I'll be turning them off on any page I make. >>


ditto, they will never come near the pages I make.

 

[Delphiki]

<< Microsoft would sell tags, probably very pricey but Ford can afford it. When the tag is sold then it would be loaded into a database where the browsers get them from, probably. But it seems this is the plan. >>



Wow, do you know *anything* about them? Smart Tags are system wide. Smart Tag definitions are easily downloadable and customizeable by the consumer. Anyone can create a Smart Tag definition, but it's up to the consumer which definitions they use.

WinXP comes with a default set of smart tags that contains nothing more than company and University names. These names allow users to get to relevant pages like stock quotes, admissions pages, home pages, etc. The default set is extremely neutral and easy to replace.

You seem to be finding a conspiracy where there is none.

 

[Thyme]

Where does Microsoft want you to go today? (/. title)

 

[Czar]

Delphiki

Thank you for being so blunt.

 

[GL]

I hate that in order for my webpage to not be &quot;innovated&quot; by Microsoft, I have to explicitly tell it not to touch it. I shouldn't have to add code to tell people not to screw with my HTML code.

 

[piku]

Besides, things like this have been availble for a LONG time now. Ever hear about those dictionary ones? Its the same thing, yet nobody bitched about those.

Wait, Microsoft didn't make any of those though. Must be why.

 

[Czar]

dictionary ones?? never heard of it


What we are afraid of is getting stuck with it, beause its microsoft, we all know what happened to IE (though I have nothing against it now)

 

[Thyme]

<< And how, specifically, would the Ford smart tags get on someone's PC? >>



Having Microsoft endorse Ford on MSN Cars, then have the smart tags link to MSN Cars which lists Ford. Or something.

 

[rmeijer]

The annoying thing about this whole deal is that if you want to make your web page &quot;non-Smart-taggable&quot; you have to explicitly state it in your html code.

It seems to me that the it should be the other way around. Too much content will be turned into a launch pad for corporate advertising.

I don't know about you, but if publish something, I don't want some corporation to hijack my work to add links back to their sales brochures.

Up shot: cool idea, annoying implementation.

Ps. Microsoft is a business. Business want to make money. Stating that Microsoft wants to use this feature to their advantage is like say McDonalds wants to sell more burgers... Well, doh! No conspiracy here!