Microsoft is testing ads (recommendations) in yet another location of its Windows 11 operating system.

When is an ad an advertisement and not a recommendation? Microsoft clearly likes to use the term recommendation for what others may see as an advertisement.

There are recommendations in the Start menu, Settings app, Lock screen, File Explorer, Get Help app, and other areas of the operating system already. These are often not that useful. App recommendations in the Start menu are limited to Microsoft Store apps.

Now, Microsoft is testing recommendations in the Microsoft Store app. If you never use the app, you won’t be exposed to these. If you do, you may notice recommendations popping up when you try to use the built-in search.

First spotted by phantomofearth on X, two or three recommendations are shown whenever search is activated in the official Microsoft Store app.

  • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.worldEnglish
    6·
    4 months ago

    People need to stop complaining about the ads and they need to start complaining about the existence of a Windows monetization team.

    Kill that team now while the revenue is small and the shareholders won’t throw a giant hissy fit.

    As long as that team exists, they’re going to be putting ads in shit. Cut the head off the snake.

    • NaibofTabr@infosec.pubEnglish
      0·
      4 months ago

      Microsoft put themselves in this position when they started giving out Windows 10 for free. It was effective in bringing most of the market onto the new version, but it set an expectation which it now feels like they can’t break, so they’re also giving Windows 11 away. Now to offset that missing revenue, they have to do something to extract value from users.

      I don’t see how they could stop this without replacing it with something more exploitive.

      • henfredemars@infosec.pubEnglish
        0·
        4 months ago

        I’d be happy to buy the OS too, but I want it to be a one-time payment and to quit with ads and all telemetry.

            • blind3rdeye@lemm.eeEnglish
              0·
              4 months ago

              A one-off time ‘investment’ of switching to Linux will save you from all future cases of searching for how to wrestle with the latest Windows crapware. If you switch, you’ll be in time-debt for a few months, and after that you’ll be ahead - and you’ll stay ahead indefinitely. You’ll also have the piece of mind that you are not being spied on and monetised by your OS.

              • TheBigBrother@lemmy.worldEnglish
                03·
                4 months ago

                Personally I use Linux, and TBH as I value my free time it’s why I say it, if you need something that just works and don’t want to mess around looking for fixing trivial errors on the internet I would suggest using windows to 95% of people, I hate windows but I must admit if it’s about stability at exchange of looking ads with not tech ability definitely it’s the most recommended.

                Linux it’s amazing but it’s not for everyone.

                It’s like the eternal battle Apple VS Android, if you just want it to work and don’t want to mess around with trivial errors definitely Apple it’s the choice, you lose liberty and privacy but for most people it will work fine.(I use Android)