Over at Linux.com, I see Microsoft has an ad for developer stuff (probably Visual Studio). I wonder about the economics of Microsoft advertising on Linux sites.

Would this site consider it? There is every chance that Microsoft will at some stage approach this site and pay good money for advertising here. Let's face it, the good folks who make and visit Linux.com have already made their choice, but here, there's a lot of noobs and 'waverers' (people who don't know which OS is best for them). So logically Microsoft might get far more response from a site like this.

Is it a good idea for Linux sites to actively seek advertising from Microsoft? Sometimes I think they just don't belong, other times I think maybe it's a good thing to just take their money.

Any thoughts?

It is always a good thing to just take their money, if you ask me

It's not always about a choice, necessarily, though. Lots of people use both OSes. Some use Linux for recreation but Windows for business (or vice versa). It doesn't have to be one or the other. Sometimes the advertising may seem out of place, but to me it makes far more sense to advertise MS products on Linux.com than, say, a Windows discussion group.

I thought the whole point of advertising is to get your business recognized and make people aware of it, so it draws their attention to find out more, buy it, etc.

If Microsoft asked Jeremy to advertise on this site and pay lots of money, I would be upset to see Jeremy turn it down. If it helps the site out, then I'm all for it.

It is kind of annoying after putting up with MS**t all day at work to go to my once M$free forums only to find more M$ b.s. but I have to agree if you can get their money then I suppose you should. I have every confidence that Linux will come into its own on its own with the same great people and ideals that it has always had irregardless of how much b.s. Bill throws at em!

Keep in mind the nature of some banner advertising programs too.

Its likely that some linux sites where you've seen M$ ads aren't approached by M$ directly (I'd even doubt M$ has ever talked directly to a site of this size) but more likely these sites subscribe to a service...this service is the one that feeds the ads and some of those happen to be M$

Personally I think every site, whether Linux or not, should allow fair and equal advertising space to even rival vensors. Hell I would.

M$ has a place in the world, and it is good competition for Linux. Let others make the choice as to whether they want to click the banner ad or not.

Would people think different if it was BSD or Mac OS? Probably, because many think they are not competition, but NEWS FLASH, they are. Many Linux people may not like M$, but dont stoop to their level of doing business... we are better than that.

Any complete noob that follows an advertising link and then returns to MS is doing what I would have done two years ago if I had seen a link that convinced me to abandon Linux. I still use Win98 professionally at work (my personal laptop is 100% Linux) and at no point do I ever feel that Linux was the wrong choice for me. I am constantly in a position in which I have to justify "LInux" (friends-work-enemies-etc) and I am exposed to banner ads - but I don't change!! Take whatever money is offered - those that stray would stray anyway. Those that stay understand :-)

I have seen MSN messenger banner ads on this site. However they come from burstnet.com which is a banner exchange company. In the end websites need to make money so join banner exchanges like Jeremy does

Please don't interpret this post as a flame; it's just that I feel so strongly about this issue that I find I must disagree with what's been said so far.

If it were my site, I would no more accept advertising from Microsoft than from a gun dealer or the tobacco industry. I would feel it was an unethical and immoral thing to do.

Enough said. I guess I'm in a minority.

One of the complaints about M$ is that it stifles competition whereas Linux encourages it. I believe that it's a good thing to have a competitor advertise - for one thing it shows the *nix community is secure in itself. Also it allows you to click through (giving Jeremy some revenue!) and see what the competition have to offer. By thisI mean that if M$ offer a tool that will increase your productivity and Linux doesn't have it then we'd be fools not to take it. Equally if the tool is that good, then someone will create a version for Linux.

We complain that M$ doesn't give Linux a fair shot, isn't it hypocritical to do the same to them? Shouldn't we be saying "we allow you to sell your wares, why not let us do the same?" Let's lead by example, not follow M$s lead.

(A bit of a ramble, but I hope you get my drift)

I don't pay attention to banner ads either way, so if they want to put all Microsoft stuff up, fine. I think most people here could probably care less. How is it that big of a deal?

The second I see a popup though...