comment Microsoft was quick to back off the ads in File Explorer, and industry watchers are worried.
The Windows Insider Team is made up when it comes to accidental releases. There was a sudden rollout in the first half of 2019, for example, the bug that wiped some users’ data with the October 2018 Update for Windows 10 remains etched in the memories of many.
However, Microsoft’s statement about the outcry about ads in File Explorer leaves more than an elephant lurking in the corner of the room.
This was a beta banner that was not intended to be posted externally and has been shut down – Brandon LeBlanc, Senior Product Manager, Windows
LeBlanc’s statement doesn’t say that ads won’t come in the future, which leads to an understandable concern that browsing for binaries might end up weakening banners.
Historically, Microsoft has been averse to sticking advertisements for its services into its products. Ads also appear in the built-in Windows apps, and we’ve noticed the helpful hints in the Start menu (today suggests Outlook grammar would be fine, despite the fact that this writer doesn’t actually use the Microsoft mail client).
Windows isn’t alone in showing users ads — iPhones, for example, regularly advertise iCloud so users learn how to stop orders or pay for a subscription.
However, there is no escaping the bad taste these things leave in the mouth. After all, you paid for your computer. I also paid for the OS. Why then should you be bombarded with helpful suggestions for services you might want to try? They can be turned off, but this should be the default setting and not a stalking setting.
There is a distinct sense that the “trial sign” was Microsoft testing the waters. It also highlighted how much can be turned on and off from the desktop at Microsoft’s liking. We’ve heard that parts of the Start Menu and Search came from Microsoft servers, but the sensors seem to have arrived at least as far as File Explorer.
The LeBlanc bug was limited to the Dev channel this time around. However, it does show that Microsoft may soon have (or already have) a little more power on the PC than one might think. The Windows Insider Team demonstrated, using the “Beta Logo”, how it can be used. ®