The Great Bing Scam

It's amazing how much trust people still have in Microsoft (MSFT). The company launched a new search engine recently and it was met with some incredible claims. This article reports that its first day out, Bing overtook Yahoo! (YHOO) and asks if Microsoft can challenge Google (GOOG) in search. Hailstorm of articles makes similar incredible claims.

I was almost ready to believe it myself, but one small thing caught my attention. I just started a new assignment, and at my new workplace Internet Explorer 6.0 is the only allowed browser. Of course, in the first several hours I mistyped some link in the browser address field, and, surprise, I see a Bing search page! I checked the browser search settings and Google was a default search engine. A little googling made things perfectly clear.

This article explained it all to me. Microsoft made a "mistake" and all IE 6s in the whole world switched to Bing as a default search engine. Why on earth are all MSFT "mistakes" always to the company benefit?

Bing is not a Google competitor. All statistics showing Bing's great start are caused by this "mistake", which, if you ask me, is just a scam. The thing is, IE 6 is still the most popular browser, because of the policies of many companies and common everyday laziness. So, when the default search for a browser was switched to Bing, it made a blip on the statistics. Little wonder, more than 50% of internet users still use IE 6. I'm surprised that this blip wasn't even higher. Of course, Microsoft had to correct this problem quickly, otherwise the company would have serious antitrust problems. But the initial jump in statistics gave Bing publicity it wouldn't get otherwise. Shame on Microsoft. More shame on everybody who got caught in this cheap trick.

Full disclosure: At the time of publication author had a long position in GOOG and did not have any positions in MSFT or YHOO. Positions can change any time.

Comments

[Naveen Selv...:]

There are definitely a few positives in Bing(over Google/Yahoo) and so some of the Bing usage would HAVE TO be attributed to that.

Assuming that people are 'unwittingly' forced to search on Bing, are they staying and continuing to use Bing or are they going back to Google Search. That is the million-dollar question

Jun 23 08:16 AM

[jsampson:]

people are going to use Bing for a little while if for no other reason out of curiosity. You did not back any of your writing up with any fact just statements. So how can we judge anything you say here?

You should not put anything out about a publicly held Corporation like this without anything to back yout statements.

Jun 23 08:41 AM

[User 419929:]

I have been using Google for so long. After Microsoft launched Bing, I decided to give it a try for few weeks. I think it is pretty good. This author says 'Bing is not a Google competitor.' just because he is google stock holder. I think in long run Bing has capabilities to give Google hard time.

Jun 23 08:46 AM

[Wil:]

I have a similar experience to the author and am a bit peeved about the whole thing. What is truly frustrating is that IE 6 also "Autocompletes" my typo'd address as the first choice rather than the correct spelling - so, if I'm in a hurry I'm more likely to click on the incorrect spelling and be delivered to Microsoft's new search engine.

I wish I could install a smarter browser and default to the search engine of my choice.

Jun 23 09:04 AM

[jay fredric...:]

I think MSFT is really on to something with Bing. Where it sits on the new IE8 makes it as good or better than Google. The stock price of MSFT will reach a new all-time high as a result of this new search engine, in my opinion. Bing is that good.

Jun 23 09:18 AM

[FloridaBoy2:]

If you think Google is not as devious as Mr. Softie...think again. I am long but do not 'love' Microsoft. Also, nothing in tech is invincible

Jun 23 09:24 AM

[Alphonsus:]

I dont agree with this article as these are his statements. Naturally as one of the reader suggested could be a google shareholder!
My default search browser at home and office was always Google. Ever since Bing was launched, I switched my browser to Bing and I have no intention to go back to Google! Curiously my internet browser is IE and it did not switch to Bing automatically as claimed by this writer!

Jun 23 10:10 AM

[Snitzer:]

IE6 does indeed bring up Bing; but who uses IE6? I keep it on the work computers more for QB compliance than for any other reason, everything else goes through Firefox. But an interesting tidbit, for sure.

Jun 23 10:21 AM

[CoverIsBetter:]

"Of course, Microsoft had to correct this problem quickly, "
Correct? Whose corrected? My IE 6.0 still goes to BING, and I did not put it that way.

And what happened to those huge wonderful full screen BING images? Mine seem to have shrunk into a framed smaller size.

Jun 23 11:16 AM

[jack dee:]

Oh please, Goog installs it silly search bar ,and changes your default on about 10,000 downloaded programs.

If even ONCE one slip and click through while installing software, BAMM! googles all over your machine.

Nevermind google sticking cookies all over the place even if you have never ever visited google single your machine created.

(long goog msft sny and a host of others)

Jun 23 11:22 AM

[TA:]

What a bias article.

This 'Why on earth are all MSFT "mistakes" always to the company benefit?' just tells it all.

Lots of opinion, no facts - just like the authors other articles.
Sorry GOOG stock has been going down lately. Eventually the one trick pony will get it's wings clipped. Don't worry, GOOG will be the far and ahead search leader for many years to come.

I switched to Bing a few weeks ago too, so far so good.

Jun 23 11:24 AM

[MarcoP123:]

Even the "facts" in this article are wrong. IE 6 has no where near 50% of the market. It's not even close to 20% and dropping fast.

Jun 23 12:52 PM

[No Name or ...:]

Let's look at this MS conspiracy theory. According to Filonov, back in 2001, MS released IE 6 with a bug that would hide until the day when Bing was released in 2009. When MS released IE 7, the bug wasn't there, but they did this on purpose ... (why did they fix it, Alex?) Now, though Filonov has no real numbers, according to the conspiracy theory, the traffic numbers can be obscured by the old IE 6 bug.
This is why MS haters have to be taken with a grain of salt. They fit every fact, or even misstated facts, into their conspiracy. Hey, wasn't that Steve Ballmer on the grassy knoll in Dallas?

Jun 23 01:53 PM

[BlueOkie:]

A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Try research next time.

Jun 23 03:16 PM

[bighoncho:]

BING is great and competion is good.

Jun 23 07:39 PM

[Alex Filonov:]

Answering to many critics:

1. I am wrong, IE6 share is much lower than I thought. It's about 15%. Still enough to be statistically important.
2. The problem is not a figment of my imagination. Just go to the link in the article. Or do a Google search "IE6 Bing". Microsoft acknowledged problem and made a fix. Fix is only good if you never used IE6 after Bing launch before fix was installed, i.e. fix is useless for most IE6 users.
3. Why IE6, installed years ago, changed search behavior? Ask Microsoft. In every IE version, in search preferences, MSN was replaced by Bing, without user's intervention, so IE settings can get updated from Microsoft. Why people still use MSFT products, including browser, is quite different question.
4. Even Jim Cramer noticed this change in his show yesterday.
5. Google doesn't push Google Search Bar. You install it if you want. IE6 was changed by Microsoft even though I didn't ask for it.

Last but not least: I don't care much about company's ethics when investing. I'm heavily invested in Altria, which is not the most ethical company, to put it mildly. But, in this case, Microsoft is not making money on the Web and is not going to make it for years. I think never. It loses more than 2 billions a year trying to stick it to Google. Sticking it to somebody is not a business model. Little bit of scam isn't going to change anything here.

Jun 23 11:41 PM

[entropy123:]

I have been using Bing for several days especially for music and other video searches. It is simply fantastic. I love the way one can quickly scroll over small windows while hearing and seeing short segments prior to a full image commitment.

Jun 24 10:49 AM

[No Name or ...:]

Alex - You need to separate out your stock & investment column from your tirade/entertainment column. If you want to say why you think Bing will be unsuccessful, that fits in here. If you want to say things like their business plan is "trying to stick it to Google" that's just a tirade and not an analysis. It belongs in a different type of column. How do you decide when a company is following a valid business plan (flawed or not) and when they are merely trying to stick it to google? Your tirade shows that your ability to give a good analysis is too weak to be worth reading. Your column sounds more like your intent is to stick it to MS than to give useful info or analysis.

Jun 24 03:38 PM

[Essence:]

I can't believe people still defend Microsoft in this day and age. They are the most manipulative, monopolist company in the world. This Bing/IE 6 "bug" is unbelievable! But just the latest in a long list of corrupt business practices designed to illegally destroy competitors.

Why does it matter? Because this kind of behaviour has limited the technological advancements of other companies that benefit the rest of the world. That people suffer with inferior Microsoft products everyday costs society countless billions in productivity.

At least the stock market has been the one honest reflector of this company, being essentially flat for almost 10 years.

Jun 25 08:15 AM

[Padhante:]

This response is to Wil: Dude, try firefox. I am not a microsoft hater like the author, but I know for fact that Firefox is a way better and faster browser than Internet Explorer 6 or 8 or whatever the newest version is. And you can default the browser to a search engine of your choice.


On Jun 23 09:04 AM Wil wrote:

> I have a similar experience to the author and am a bit peeved about
> the whole thing. What is truly frustrating is that IE 6 also "Autocompletes"
> my typo'd address as the first choice rather than the correct spelling
> - so, if I'm in a hurry I'm more likely to click on the incorrect
> spelling and be delivered to Microsoft's new search engine.
>
> I wish I could install a smarter browser and default to the search
> engine of my choice.

Jun 25 09:11 AM

[entropy123:]

Bing stopped working for me about 3 days ago. I am getting a default to a Beta Bing which does nor include a video link and no connection when following available links - which include a mysterious 2bing.com

Jul 09 08:30 PM

[IT_caveman:]

Regardless of all the thoughts flying around out here. IE6 is still broken for most users. Bottom line is Microsoft needs to fix the problem THEY caused for all IE6 users. End of story.

The IT_caveman

Jul 10 03:00 PM