Microsoft To Sell Ad Space in Error Messages


Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) announced that it
is selling advertising space in the error messages
that appear in Windows. Acknowledging for the
first time that the average user of their
operating system encounters error messages at
least several times a day, Microsoft is trying to
take financial advantage of the unavoidable
opportunity to make an ad impression.

"We estimate that throughout the world at
any given moment several million people are
getting a `General Protection Fault' or `Illegal
Operation' warning. We will be able to generate
significant revenue by including a short
advertising message along with it," said Microsoft
marketing director Nathan Mirror. He also
mentioned that Microsoft is intended to add banner
ads into its Blue Screen of Death in the near
future.

The Justice Department immediately
indicated that they intend to investigate whether
Microsoft is gaining an unfair advantage in
reaching the public with this advertising by
virtue of its semi-monopolistic control over error
messages.