Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Microsoft: you might as well learn to love 'em

Microsoft is a big company - so big that there are parts of the business that don't even know each other. It's not unusual to find that the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing. You can't argue with success though, and there are some things that Microsoft does better than anybody else.

But those things are irrelevant to this discussion. Today, we're talking about Hotmail, a Microsoft product, and how Hotmail protects you from Microsoft.

I recently bought some MS software, and opted to buy the backup DVD. MS sent me a shipment notification via email. The message was sent from Xffice2010.US@trymicrxsxftxffice.cxm - a generic, but harmless, business address. (Address modified to foil harvesting bots. Change the xs back to os to see the real address.) The Hotmail server, bless its silicon and fiber-optic heart, red-flagged the message with this helpful warning:

"This message looks very suspicious to our SmartScreen filters, so we've blocked attachments, pictures, and links for your safety.
Show content"


How do you like that? An MS product tags mail emanating from MS itself as "suspicious." I'm not complaining. I don't think MS should change a thing. It's just something funny, worth a mild giggle or a half-smile as you start your morning. Have a great day, everyone.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

You have given me a great giggle as I wind down my day, actually. Too right about Micro$oft...you gotta love something that randomly bizarre. I see you wrote a lovely comment on Alison's blog, too. What a great sprawling community we have!