MSN search blocks XFree86

[mobrien_12]

http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/04/03/03/233224.shtml

 

quote:Excerpt from article
If you go to http://search.msn.com/ and search for 'XFree86', it tells you that you've 'entered a search term that is likely to return adult content', and directs you to the porn search engine NightSurf.com, which lists a bunch of porn sites that ostensibly match the term 'XFree86'.

MSN is apparently blocking the specific term 'XFree86' and not just filtering on something stupid like the 'X' or the 'Free', since you can search for 'XFree85' and 'XFree87' with no problem.

[ March 03, 2004: Message edited by: M. O'Brien ]

[worker201]

Good thing somebody is keeping track of this stuff.  As a non-user of MSN, I might have never known!
 

[Xeen]

HAHA! I wrote to MSN about this "problem" and how they block Open Source related searches in their feed-back section and got a reply several hours later:

 

quote:Thank you for writing to MSN Search Customer Support about the results being generated for "XFree86". Your taking the time to send us feedback on our service is much appreciated.  
We apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced in this regard. We recognize that certain results we have on the MSN Search page can
sometimes have an unintended negative impact on users. I have now forwarded your concern to the Search Specialist Team so it may be given due
attention. It is comments such as yours, which greatly helps us in guiding our ongoing efforts in improving our site. In the meantime, you may want to use instead the keyword XFree86.org in dearching for the said website when using the MSN Search page. If you have any other queries on MSN Search, please feel free to write us back.

[Annorax]

quote:Originally posted by xeen:
HAHA! I wrote to MSN about this "problem" and how they block Open Source related searches in their feed-back section and got a reply several hours later:

 

Really? I'd have expected a reply like this one...
 

quote:Resistance is futile. Your technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. You will be assimilated.

In conclusion, fuck you and your open source hippie friends. Signed, Billgatus

[ March 04, 2004: Message edited by: Annorax: Temporal Refugee ]

[KernelPanic]

quote: Thank you for writing to MSN Search Customer Support about the results being generated for "XFree86". Your taking the time to send us feedback on our service is much appreciated.
We apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced in this regard. We recognize that certain results we have on the MSN Search page can
sometimes have an unintended negative impact on users. I have now forwarded your concern to the Search Specialist Team so it may be given due
attention. It is comments such as yours, which greatly helps us in guiding our ongoing efforts in improving our site. In the meantime, you may want to use instead the keyword XFree86.org in dearching for the said website when using the MSN Search page. If you have any other queries on MSN Search, please feel free to write us back.

Hoorah for Microsoft spell-checker.
Also, if you know the URL you don't need to search for it, duh!
Sounds like a technically correct but useless answer to me.

[Xeen]

By the way it should be noted that this was my original complaint to the MSN feedback:

   

quote:HAHAHA!!! Finally proof that Microsoft/MSN is blocking Linux and Open Source related sources. When you use MSN Search to search for "xfree86" it returns this: "You have entered a search term that is likely to return adult content." and doesn't give you any search results. That's a big fat lie. We know you don't really think "xfree86" has anything to do with adult content because you can search for xfree85 or xfree 87 and you don't get the same result. I don't really care because of
course I never use M$N but Microsoft is SCUM. You are lying SCUMBAGS and all your software SUCKS.

I also replied back to them with this simple statement:

 

quote:If I knew the URL of xfree86, I wouldn't have to search for it now would I?

[ March 04, 2004: Message edited by: xeen ]

[WMD]

Try this:

1.  go to http://search.msn.com
2.  click "advanced search"
3.  type in XFree86 and click Search
4.  When the blocked page appears, click "go back to MSN Search."

There you go, the results for XFree86!  

[Xeen]

! Now go back to the regular MSN search and search for xfree87. Read the description part of the very first result      

By the way, I got another reply to the response I sent about they're suggestion.

 

quote:Thanks for writing us back.

We are currently investigating your issue and will respond with a resolution or suggestion on how to resolve this matter. If you have any additional information you can provide to us or if there is anything else we can assist you with, please feel free to write us back.

[ March 04, 2004: Message edited by: xeen ]

[Stilly]

have you written them back asking about why theres so few linux results?

[Xeen]

quote:Originally posted by WMD:
Try this:

1.  go to http://search.msn.com
2.  click "advanced search"
3.  type in XFree86 and click Search
4.  When the blocked page appears, click "go back to MSN Search."

There you go, the results for XFree86!    

When you do that you still only get 8 results. If you search on google for xfree86 you get more than 2 million results.

[Xeen]

Well they fixed it and sent me back an email:

 

quote:Hello,
Thank you for Contacting MSN Search Customer Support about the search results found when searching for “XFree86”. The MSN Search team was notified of the incorrect search results and has now corrected the search query in the MSN Search database. We appreciate your bringing this to our attention. It is due to the input from users such as yourself that we’ve made such improvements as:
Ad banner free MSN Search home page
Search Preview
Parental Controls
Improved navigation
Please continue to send us your feedback and suggestions, and thank you
for helping us to provide the most useful experience possible.
Thank you for using MSN Search.
Sincerely,
MSN Search Customer Support

Note that this is exactly how I recieved the email. Not sure why it has those wierd characters.

[Kintaro]

Bwhahhahahahahahhaahaha

This is hilarious, I thought it would be some paranoid rant, but its real.

Who the fuck uses MSN, most people use google these days.