Did I get a great sales pitch for Microsoft products in the Bill Gates - Jerry Seinfeld ads? No. But here is what is going on that makes these ads a home run … we are talking about them. We aren’t just talking about them a little either. Sites like Techmeme and TechCrunch are talking about them and getting tons of comments and more importantly trackbacks. Trackbacks mean that other sites are blogging about them and they are getting comments too. What has happened is that you now have a phenomenal number of people talking about Microsoft and their products even though the commercials themselves had little to say about either. Lets not forget that the commercials are also on YouTube and are getting video comments as well. Personally I think the commercials have been a home run. They are drowning out the buzz around the Apple ads and they are creating the buzz among the heavy tech users. Even the Mac Rumor sites are talking about it. This is a clear win.

While Google and Microsoft prepare quotes to purchase Digg (finally), AOL squandered their social news site Netscape .. er .. Propeller.  Yet, while AOL shows us that they have such fine acumen for anything but running an internet business, Yahoo! would rather have AOL kill them off than Microsoft absorb them.  I am no Microsoft fan, though recent internet offerings and courting of more open projects have taken the edge off, but courting a company that so lacks the ability to compete online seems just crazy.  I guess I need to get an MBA so stupid decisions will suddenly make perfect business sense to me.  Who knows, it might help me understand GM’s rebuilding strategy of producing fewer cars that no one wants to buy?