Free Stuff from Microsoft

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  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20070710/tc_cmp/201000338;_ylt=AhsZbw_kXrynaQMGelNKCbIE1vAI" target="_blank">I think somebody has noticed</a>

    How long until they make the connection?
  • OmegamanOmegaman Join Date: 2004-01-11 Member: 25239Members
    edited July 2007
    <!--quoteo(post=1638461:date=Jul 11 2007, 03:08 PM:name=Xyth)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Xyth @ Jul 11 2007, 03:08 PM) [snapback]1638461[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/cmp/20070710/tc_cmp/201000338;_ylt=AhsZbw_kXrynaQMGelNKCbIE1vAI" target="_blank">I think somebody has noticed</a>

    How long until they make the connection?
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->A person posting under the name Cliff Parker on the Compete blog questioned the firm's data. "[S]earch market shares usually move by tenths of percentage points per month," Parker said. "A move this big in one month is unprecedented. Are you sure your data <b>are</b> correct?"<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Great, now I'm confused again. I've had this grammar issue before, but now I've forgotten what's right and what's wrong. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":angry:" border="0" alt="mad-fix.gif" />
  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1638496:date=Jul 11 2007, 06:35 PM:name=Omegaman)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Omegaman @ Jul 11 2007, 06:35 PM) [snapback]1638496[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Great, now I'm confused again. I've had this grammar issue before, but now I've forgotten what's right and what's wrong. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":angry:" border="0" alt="mad-fix.gif" />
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    "Data" is singular plural. So "are" is technically correct since it refers to multiple pieces of data.
  • cshank4cshank4 Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13425Members
    They removed another prize... but I'm not sure which one...
  • A_Boojum_SnarkA_Boojum_Snark Join Date: 2003-09-07 Member: 20628Members
    It's whatever was between the zune case and the movie tickets... the one thing I can't remember.
  • MantridMantrid Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
    It was the Weekender spa thing. Shampoo and lotion and stuff.
  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201001092" target="_blank">Im sorry!</a>

    So I emailed the guy that wrote the original live-search article and told him what was really going on... Uh oh.
  • LikuLiku I, am the Somberlain. Join Date: 2003-01-10 Member: 12128Members
  • RuByRuBy Join Date: 2002-12-12 Member: 10732Members
    edited July 2007
    <!--quoteo(post=1638640:date=Jul 12 2007, 02:20 PM:name=Xyth)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Xyth @ Jul 12 2007, 02:20 PM) [snapback]1638640[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201001092" target="_blank">Im sorry!</a>

    So I emailed the guy that wrote the original live-search article and told him what was really going on... Uh oh.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Are you serious? This article links to bots and all the info on using them. The situation is going to get very sad very quick when everyone starts using them.
  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1638644:date=Jul 12 2007, 04:49 PM:name=RuBy)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RuBy @ Jul 12 2007, 04:49 PM) [snapback]1638644[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Are you serious? This article links to bots and all the info on using them. The situation is going to get very sad very quick when everyone starts using them.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    The whole point is everybody is ALREADY using them. Hell, the newest bot doesn't even open the games, it sends fake packets to the Live Search Club site, allowing you to get 20k points in under an hour.
  • cshank4cshank4 Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13425Members
    Too bad they don't work now and google is removing the pages.


    ######.
  • Amped1Amped1 Join Date: 2003-02-08 Member: 13287Members
    The reason the games have point caps is because we are solving the entire library of puzzles, at least thats my theory.
  • cshank4cshank4 Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13425Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1638656:date=Jul 12 2007, 05:58 PM:name=Amped1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Amped1 @ Jul 12 2007, 05:58 PM) [snapback]1638656[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    The reason the games have point caps is because we are solving the entire library of puzzles, at least thats my theory.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    Right, they only upload a few a month or something.


    And, you know what sucks? There are bots that actually GIVE microsoft the page hits, so it's all fine. But then you have idiots using ones that are blatantly illegal and just edit packets and stuff. (Not going to name it, but there's one that actually just floods the live servers with tons of packets until they win, unlike another good one that edits the packets and makes it appear like you're getting the hit on the page. The first one is illegal and it's the one everyone uses :/)
  • Amped1Amped1 Join Date: 2003-02-08 Member: 13287Members
    LIVEMACRO.GOOGLEPAGES.COM

    Was the one that used to be hosted there the bad one?
  • cshank4cshank4 Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13425Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1638659:date=Jul 12 2007, 06:08 PM:name=Amped1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Amped1 @ Jul 12 2007, 06:08 PM) [snapback]1638659[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    LIVEMACRO.GOOGLEPAGES.COM

    Was the one that used to be hosted there the bad one?
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    No, that was the good one.






    Moron.
  • Amped1Amped1 Join Date: 2003-02-08 Member: 13287Members
    I'm seeing a bit of a contradiction here.

    <b>According to you:</b>
    Majority uses it.
    Gives Microsoft no hits.
    Therefore Microsoft gets very little additional hits from Club Live.

    <b>According to Microsoft:</b>
    They have seen a massive increase in usage of Live Search since Club Live was launched.
  • cshank4cshank4 Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13425Members
    edited July 2007
    <!--quoteo(post=1638665:date=Jul 12 2007, 06:27 PM:name=Amped1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Amped1 @ Jul 12 2007, 06:27 PM) [snapback]1638665[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    I'm seeing a bit of a contradiction here.

    <b>According to you:</b>
    Majority uses it.
    Gives Microsoft no hits.
    Therefore Microsoft gets very little additional hits from Club Live.

    <b>According to Microsoft:</b>
    They have seen a massive increase in usage of Live Search since Club Live was launched.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    No nono.

    LM DOES give them the hits in a weird manner. There's another one that more people use that starts with a C, that one works on the same principle, but, for some reason, gives them no hits.

    Basically, LM tells MS that they had the page hits, the C one doesn't but still gives you points.

    Edit: Also one of the reasons Google shut down the site for that one, I believe. Think about it.
  • Amped1Amped1 Join Date: 2003-02-08 Member: 13287Members
    My mistake. I took:

    <!--quoteo(post=1638660:date=Jul 12 2007, 05:10 PM:name=cshank4)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cshank4 @ Jul 12 2007, 05:10 PM) [snapback]1638660[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Moron.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    To mean "YES! That's the bad one you idiot."
  • cshank4cshank4 Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13425Members
    edited July 2007
  • ThansalThansal The New Scum Join Date: 2002-08-22 Member: 1215Members, Constellation
    Vista is back at 20K and office 2K7 is in at 25K
  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    edited July 2007
    There were 3 bots.

    First gen bots just were macros that litterally typed in the words to the puzzles, or in the case of chicktionary is just typed words it gets from anagrammar. This one gave Live-search tons of hits because everytime it typed something in, it would automatically be Live-searched.

    Second gen bots edited the memory value that controlled your percentage completed, though they required you solving one of the puzzles on your own to let it locate the correct value. This was the one that was on the google page that was taken down. This still gave live-search hits, though only 1 per game. This also worked MUCH faster then the first gen bots.

    The third gen bots now just emulate the "victory" packet that awards you points, and sends them to the microsoft servers super fast. These never even open the games, so it gives live-search no hits. These are only just recent, but work MUCH faster then the other 2. These are what most people call the "bad" bots because with the shear volume of hits they cause on the ticket server they are apparently slowing things down. This bot also alows you to "play" an unlimited number of accounts from 1 computer, something the other generations couldn't.

    And there you go.
  • cshank4cshank4 Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13425Members
    edited July 2007
    <!--quoteo(post=1638675:date=Jul 12 2007, 06:52 PM:name=Thansal)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Thansal @ Jul 12 2007, 06:52 PM) [snapback]1638675[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Vista is back at 20K and office 2K7 is in at 25K
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


    Yep, it's Home Premium. Only thing wrong with premium is it's lacking some rather... dumb features.

    Edit: For the record, they're banning accounts that've been using 3rd-gen bots.
  • UltimaGeckoUltimaGecko hates endnotes Join Date: 2003-05-14 Member: 16320Members
    Not that I want or plan to get Vista, but why don't they offer the different versions at different ticket rates?
    Ultimate for 22k, Premium for 17k, <a href="http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/02/02" target="_blank">AIDS</a> for free...

    Who'm I kidding, I don't care, I haven't bothered playing their crappy games within the last 3 days because Live Search sucks and there's never new cool puzzles and all of the games are excrutiatingly boring (Flexicon slightly less than the others). Get some Live Search chess or something (knight takes queen? search for queens and knights...I don't know)...
  • A_Boojum_SnarkA_Boojum_Snark Join Date: 2003-09-07 Member: 20628Members
    I seem to be unable to get any new puzzles (for any game)... it keeps giving me the same one over and over (and of course no points for solving it again). I did have problems last night with the game being unable to contact the ticket server last night when I finished said puzzle, presumably due to botflooding. Anyone else have such a problem? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
    <!--sizeo:1--><span style="font-size:8pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->don't think I got bant from getting tickets for botting, I've played all my games myself<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
  • LikuLiku I, am the Somberlain. Join Date: 2003-01-10 Member: 12128Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1638656:date=Jul 12 2007, 03:58 PM:name=Amped1)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Amped1 @ Jul 12 2007, 03:58 PM) [snapback]1638656[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    The reason the games have point caps is because we are solving the entire library of puzzles, at least thats my theory.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    That's correct, somewhat. I know that Chicktionary had a 7000 point cap, but then they lowered it to 1000. So for Chicktionary theres actually more than 1000 points of puzzles, but they stop you from playing them.
  • Amped1Amped1 Join Date: 2003-02-08 Member: 13287Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1638734:date=Jul 13 2007, 02:25 AM:name=A_Boojum_Snark)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(A_Boojum_Snark @ Jul 13 2007, 02:25 AM) [snapback]1638734[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    I seem to be unable to get any new puzzles (for any game)... it keeps giving me the same one over and over (and of course no points for solving it again). I did have problems last night with the game being unable to contact the ticket server last night when I finished said puzzle, presumably due to botflooding. Anyone else have such a problem? <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad-fix.gif" />
    <!--sizeo:1--><span style="font-size:8pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->don't think I got bant from getting tickets for botting, I've played all my games myself<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Yes. Then I switched to IE and everything works.
  • cshank4cshank4 Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13425Members
    edited July 2007
    Yeah, they changed it so IE works and firefox doesn't.

    Or rather, IE works 100% of the time, Firefox works maybe 20% of the time.
    Anyhow, I got my Zune, a case and a gaming headset. It's all good. Now it just has to be delivered.

    Mmm, looks like the ticket server got flooded again. It's saying I have none when I should have about 3k.
  • MantridMantrid Lockpick Join Date: 2003-12-07 Member: 24109Members
    The site is all screwed up. People are reporting that their accounts have zero tickets, and some people can't log out.

    If it shows that you have zero tickets, I wouldn't panic just yet.
  • cshank4cshank4 Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13425Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1638793:date=Jul 13 2007, 04:53 PM:name=Mantrid)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mantrid @ Jul 13 2007, 04:53 PM) [snapback]1638793[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    The site is all screwed up. People are reporting that their accounts have zero tickets, and some people can't log out.

    If it shows that you have zero tickets, I wouldn't panic just yet.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Yeah, that's how mine is. I figured it's just a bug with the servers being flooded by botting retards. They could at least have the grace to use a macro and give the servers actual hits.


    Ah well, at least I ordered my Zune last night.
  • Amped1Amped1 Join Date: 2003-02-08 Member: 13287Members
    They updated this morning so it is possible they have anti-botting software in place.
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