It finally had to happen... the financial pressures created by Microsoft's chain mail campaign has come home to the financial roost. Bill Gate's abortive offer of $1000 for morons er... customers to forward their microsoft chain email to their friends has created a liability of $450 BILLION.
Here's a sample of the email campaign launched in 1998 and still floating through remote Afghan mail servers:
Subject: PLEASE READ! YOULL BE GLAD YOU DID!
[email protected]/Track883432/~TraceActive/On.html
Hello Everyone,
And thank you for signing up for my Beta Email Tracking Application or (BETA) for short. My name is Bill Gates. Here at Microsoft we have just compiled an e-mail tracing program that tracks everyone to whom this message is forwarded to. It does this through an unique IP (Internet Protocol) address log book database.
We are experimenting with this and need your help. Forward this to everyone you know and if it reaches 1000 people everyone on the list you will receive $1000 and a copy of Windows98 at my expense.
Enjoy.
Note: Duplicate entries will not be counted. You will be notified by email with further instructions once this email has reached 1000 people.
Windows98 will not be shipped until it has been released to the general public.
Your friend,
Bill Gates & The Microsoft Development Team.
