Microsoft Still Paying People to Use LIVE Search
Microsoft Still Paying People to Use LIVE Search
Posted 10/01/2008 at 2:30pm
| by Andy Salisbury
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That’s right, you didn’t misread the headline – Microsoft is looking to pay you to use their search engine (again). Not with real money mind you, but points that can be redeemed for prizes (read: Chuck E. Cheese).
The program, called SearchPerks, will give users of Microsoft’s LIVE Search a point each time they search, with the possibility of accumulating 25 per day. However, users will only be able to collect these points once they’ve agreed to download and install a small program that allows Microsoft to track their usage.
In the past, Microsoft hasn’t been successful in getting new users for their search engine, currently only holding 8.3 percent of the search engine market. With the Live Search Club, Microsoft saw an initial boost in their search engine usage of nearly 3 percent, but the results failed to hold. The success of the search engine appears to be directly tied with the incentive programs that Microsoft offers.
If you’re looking to get in on the point-spending goodness, be sure to sign up soon. Microsoft is only allowing people to sign up until the end of the year, or until they get their target of 250,000 participants.
I bet you never thought all those searches for Lindsay Lohan would one day be profitable, did you?
Image Credit: Microsoft
More like this
Keith E. Whisman
October 04, 2008 at 6:05pm
I'm having trouble getting Live search to work now. Friday and Saturday I've had no luck at all. It just gives me a blank page that tells me that Inet explorer cannot display the webpage message.
dcrail
October 03, 2008 at 8:17am
Firefox
Thunderbird
Ubuntu
Google desktop
Open Office.org
Linux
logitech
Keith E. Whisman
October 03, 2008 at 12:25am
Hey MS Live Seach did give me what I was looking for. I searched ass and got an ass Hulk Hogan...
dcrail
October 02, 2008 at 7:35am
While curse words are fun, I've been using Live search at work, and the results just aren't as good as google.
When searching for hospital names, the hospital's web site will be first result in google, and half way down the page with Live search. But at least Hulk Hogan's face pops up when searching for Ass. They've got that going for them, and that's nice.
Keith E. Whisman
October 02, 2008 at 1:03am
And got the 25searches in five minutes by searching curse words.... LOL.. It's even fun to do this.
Keith E. Whisman
October 02, 2008 at 12:59am
It is an XBox 360 wireless controller for the pc and I got the software.
My first live search was Ass and Hulk Hogan's picture came up at the top of the screen.. .. LOL..... LOL .... ROFLOL...............
Right now I'm trying all the 4letter words I know. I can do that 25times a day...
zodi
October 01, 2008 at 2:49pm
Ahh yes microsoft forgot us canandians again in this deal.
Maybe thats why I have nevered used Live search. No incentive and google works so well....well most of the time.
AntiHero
October 01, 2008 at 3:28pm
AGreed with you fellow canadian. The bastards always leave us out of the circle, however..the prizes weren't that great anyway. 5500 tickets (approximately 5000 searches) for an Xbox 360 controller.
An add on to the article, Lindsay Lohan is icky, lol.
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