Remember the story about Microsoft spamming the Android notification tray with ads for applications I had already installed? BetaNews talked to Microsoft about this, the company first said this:
Our team is actively investigating the occurrences of these notifications.
However, after BetaNews pressed on, Microsoft changed its tune and said this a few days later:
Microsoft is deeply committed to ensuring that we maintain the best possible experience for our customers in addition to complying with all applicable policies. We have taken the action to turn off these notifications. This update will be reflected in the coming days.
Well, I guess I indirectly actually did something useful.
For all those who didn’t believe you. Doesn’t it just give you the warm fuzzies? lol
I’ve had similar notification ads on my Galaxy S7 with MS Office pre-installed. Each app in turn has shown 2 ads. Haven’t (yet?) seen a third, though.
Edited 2016-05-31 21:38 UTC
Hi,
Microsoft is deeply committed to ensuring that we maintain the best possible experience for our stockholders, including breaking applicable policies if we think we can get away with it and then “fixing” the problem if/when people complain enough. We have taken the action to turn off these notifications. This update will be reflected in the coming days.
– Brendan
just replace “comming days” to “following the end of the fiscal quarter”
And now, they’re probably pouting in a corner. As insane as it sounds, I bet their UX testing told them it was a good idea.
They probably have extensive studies showing that spamming the notification bar, increases users understanding of their available products on the device and leads to longer interaction with their apps.
However, their metrics probably don’t show that its actually people diving into the apps looking for a “don’t spam the notification bar setting”. Still, someone on their team is probably pissed, mumbling about the data and techno-hipsters.
I think you are claiming a bit much here. Was the action by BetaNews based on your article here?
How about this logic:
My claim: People should be friendly to the people around them.
Result: I indirectly made love with your wife?
On-Topic: Notifications are nice, but developers should learn that THEIR app is THEIR world, but in MY world it is just a tool among many others
Edited 2016-06-01 08:14 UTC
Yes, it was. Go read the link before commenting.
Your summary seemed to cover everything from the article….it didn’t mention this so I am now justifiably looking like a fool. My apologies.
Better a contributing fool that an absent smarty, Avgalen
Thom has helped kill office promos to office users. I’m sure no one will forget about office with or without notifications.
Now about Google and Facebook data mining and selling user profiles….
if only we could do something about real problems.
Google doesn’t sell user profiles. Google sells advertisement space. The user profiles are Google’s biggest trade secret, and are probably safer than any other piece of data in the world: they are the geese that lays Google’s golden eggs. If you had even a modicum of understanding of how this industry works, you’d know that Google would not give away, sell, or otherwise disclose your info in any way, because it would destroy their ability to make money.
Learn the difference so you don’t look like an idiot.
Edited 2016-06-01 12:03 UTC
A little love for Us the unlovable, Thom.
As a gift, knowing We don’t deserve it.
“The user profiles are Google’s biggest trade secret, and are probably safer than any other piece of data in the world”
[Speculating that Google provides signal harvesting on governments lawful request, BUT NOT THEIR OWN DISTILLATES].
Now, if Google -in his own right- keep their ‘trade secrets’ -as you call them- to themselves [even from governments]…
Way We, simple mortals don’t?
Because WE ALLOW.
Our thoughts, ramblings, ideas, drafts, photos, & videos ARE PRIVATE.
Until we EXCHANGE, EXPLOIT, MONETIZE them.
If Sending to Family and Friends they become DISCRETE, This is not an EXPLOIT [Law-Frame to consider this].
As Law-Frame have defined what a familiar is. Also will have too, with ‘friend’ [local and at-the-distance].
At many population stabilized countries, friend-circles are the totality of ‘family’. This is very important to be dismissed.
IF Google [Or any other HARVESTING Actor] EXPLOIT what has come to know about an extremely affluent [or power endowed] USER after many years of signal harvesting, BY Unlawfully SELLING signals or|and distillates, THEN Google no longer have a RIGHT TO PRIVACY about those SIGNALS OR|AND DISTILLATES.
[Just my point of view. Of course].
On following Thom Allegory:
IF Harvesters Carelessly saving their golden eggs from envious eyes THEN dangerous out-laws.
These are DISTILLATES. Law agencies -within their Frame- should have access to the GRAINS down to the DISCRETE level. But Legal Statute ONLY IF ABOVE discrete level. Law agencies shouldn’t, and Harvesters neither [are you there, Apple?] have access to private signal harvesting [As long as kept private, within the device boundaries, and their local renderers].
The power to help moving a single rock out of the track. You have helped Us several times, Ezraz. Even unthoughfully.
Now we wait until someone at microsoft thinks inserting ads in the documents themselves is a good idea…. Just a small “created using microsoft office” at the end of printed documents, to start with.
If well remembering, already done: “MyPDFtranscodedFile.xslx” Thanks for the advise, anyway
We need to make WinBeta talk to Microsoft about those “forced” upgrades to Windows 10
…and about the default “spying”
…and about those unwanted adds for store-apps
…and about how they keep making a mobile OS without providing hardware to run it on while promoting Universal Apps
…and SKU’s oh god if we could only get rid of SKU’s
Quick WinBeta and Microsoft Feedback team, make it happen!
“To infinity… and beyond!”
Buzz Lightyear
As an annoyance was a little one, compared to Browser Land.
To me the News signaled by Thom is the lack of oversight over Application Land.
Congratulating Real People at Microsoft about this one