When Microsoft Tries Too Hard

No, unfortunately this is not about the operating systems that Microsoft supports. It isn’t about the Office cash cow. It’s not  about the Live Essentials efforts.

It’s about a lame attempt to bond with youngsters, over a subject that should be a non-starter. Cyberbullying.  “Oh sure,” you say. “No one should be bullied in cyberspace.”

I am still awaiting the explanation of why these children who are unleashed upon the internet are not intelligent enough to either turn the machine off, or simply delete the e-mail, or move to another web page, as the case may be.

But Microsoft is on a huge spending campaign; this goes along with the storefronts that  will be found unnecessary.

Seattle Tech Report discovered that Microsoft has teamed up with Girl Scouts of the USA to create LMK (“let me know”), an online safety website for girls. There is a version for teenagers, lmk.girlscouts.org (blogs, forums, articles, quizzes, and polls), and one for parents, letmeknow.girlscouts.org (lead by Internet security lawyer Parry Aftab). Subjects that are discussed include cyberbullying, predators, and social networking.

It’s a girl-for-girl tech campaign that also gives parents the tools they need to protect their girls. The campaign also includes a monthly e-newsletter distributed to adults that covers the Internet safety topic the all-girl editorial board explored that month. Shannon, a member of the LMK editorial team, said it best: “Being online is a part of every teenage girl’s life. Now we have a chance to teach our parents a thing or two about the real issues we face every day.”

So how does Microsoft fit in? The software giant offers resources and provides online safety guidance in support of LMK. “Most teens understand the Internet and technology better than their parents,” says Erika Takeuchi, product manager for Windows Client Interactive and Digital Creative Development at Microsoft. “These tools will teach parents effective ways to help protect their families from risks such as file-sharing abuse and exposure to potential dangerous content.” It’s always heartening to see different organizations collaborating together for the common goal of raising awareness about issues.

from Ars Technica

All of this when two things could sum it all up.

1. Never tell anyone your address.
2. Never give your parent’s (or your, if that case ever comes up) credit card information out

Truthfully, if anything else is ever needed, perhaps a straight jacket would do the trick.

By the way, how exactly does file sharing abuse fit in? This is like Microsoft putting some pork in a stimulus bill. Dangerous content? Is Microsoft admitting that the ’stuff’ built into Internet Explorer does not work? Hmm.

But I’m sure someone had fun making up the colorful sign – for at least ten minutes.

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Saving is a fine thing. Especially when your parents have done it for you.Winston Churchill