MsDewey.com - Microsoft's Gift to the Common Geek?
December 9, 2006 | Tags: microsoft, msdewey, valleywag, search, geekMicrosoft recently released a Flash-based search engine that features -- more so than the search results -- a voluptuous avatar, Ms. Dewey.
Ms. Dewey is played by Janina Gavankar, who, according to ValleyWag [NSFW], appeared nude in the thriller "Cup of My Blood".
Janina was obviously selected for her sex appeal, to help get geeks excited about Microsoft's Live Search. However, the site is less about search than it is about Ms. Dewey.
The search results are tucked away, taking up less than half of the content area. The results are also subtly animated, sport a low-contrast color scheme, and reside on a semi-transparent background.
As if our cleavage-baring Ms. Dewey doesn't seem risque enough already, Microsoft decided to script her to respond to many phrases of sexual nature. She even seems to respond to some legitimate queries with her mind in the gutter.
The word "banana" seems to set her off. I tried the query to see if I could provoke a clip where she peels a banana and eats it, in response to an inappropriate question. One response to "banana" included her requesting the viewer to take off all of his clothes and throw them out the window.
Even more shocking though, was this clip, in response to a different inappropriate query. She pulls out a helmet and a dozen condoms:
It is obvious that the Ms. Dewey project is more about getting the attention of the geek crowd than it is about Microsoft Live Search. On that level, it did appear to be a success, but it is a new low for Microsoft.
Links:
MsDewey.com,
ValleyWag Article
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