Microsoft's "Source Fource" Action Figures

RCanine writes "Microsoft is attempting to curry mind share with the 3-12 age bracket with their new event, the Source Fource, a series of developer-based action figures. Windows Vista Sensei, SQL Server Gal and some lame gender stereotypes presumably seek to rid the world of bearded, katana-wielding evil-doers. From the article: 'Between March 15th and April 15th 2007, the new super dudette will be offered and will be sent to developers who get their act together and attend at least two live MSDN Webcasts or two MSDN Virtual Labs, or one of each.'" I just can't figure out what to make of this, except that I hope someone can tell me if it blends. Or melts. Or burns.

Too much cash in MS marketing.

[AceJohnny]

Microsoft is the living proof that Marketing > Quality (as if anybody doubted that). They know that their marketing dept is their most important asset, and they can afford to pour cash at them. Hence their marketing people can afford to try out any wacky ideas and see what sticks.

That's the only explanation I can come up for this initiative. Anything else makes me want to obliterate humanity.

Re:Hmm...

[plague3106]

/. a bit behind the times I guess. I got Sql Server Gal at an event I went to over a year ago. Oh well, better late than never I guess.. wait, no.

All this really is...

[EmagGeek]

Is Microsoft's answer to Tux and the Bitten Apple. M$ has never really had a Mascot, and I will bet dollars to donuts that some M$ marketing person had an epiphany that the reason everyone hates M$ was because they didn't have a cute, cuddly mascot or cultural icon.

So, their answer, of course, is to create not one, but LOTS, of cute, cuddly mascots. After all, if one is good, 10 must be better. Right?

Re:Say what you want.

[Chas]

"This is the coolest thing Microsoft has ever done and I'm not having anyone say otherwise!"

Unfortunately, in a sick, sad way, you're right.

embrace, extend, extinguish - on names

[Tom]

I don't think it's coincidence that it sounds a lot like SourceForge [sourceforge.net].

I don't know why, but if I wanted to muddle a name, that's something I'd do: Create something that sounds much like it, is a bit childish and ridiculous, and try to make it popular.

Re:Is today April 1st?

[wfWebber]

My thoughts exactly. It can't be a coincidence that these figures are supposed to debut between march 15 and april 15...

Re:WTF?

[ashridah]

Hm. And it looks like these Source Force toys are from a few years ago anyway, not related to the {heroes} stuff after all.

Offer's expired - March 15 - April 15 2007

[tlhIngan]

I just noticed this - it's in the summary, and in TFA (twice!).

March 15th through April 15th 2007: Qualification period for the Windows Vista Sensei and Office Master superheros

(emphasis mine).

And in the rules...

Offer good only to the first 5,000 residents of the U.S. or Canada that attend at least two live MSDN Webcasts or complete two MSDN Virtual Labs, or one of each, between March 15, 2007, and April 15, 2007

(again, emphasis mine).

Either this is really really really old news (not unusual - it IS /. after all), or someone's got their time machine all messed up?

Sounds like my job

[Anonymous Coward]

This comic sounds like my job. Fighting off the Pointy Haired Boss who read about Teh Lunix in a magazine and wants to turn our IT infrastructure into a Munich-esque ruin, then combatting the invading hordes of Stallmanistas, clueless 18 year old FOSSies pretending to be in IT, and a mercenary army of Lunix consultants trying to plunder all our company's funds with their excessive fees and fraudulent claims of billable hours.

And let's not even get into the evil GPLv3 trying to seize control of all software ever made.

Re:For the love of...

[Anonymous Coward]

If you click through the links, you'll see that the apocalypse started two years ago, and that these pages don't seem to have been updated for nearly a year. Doesn't look like it was meant to be taken seriously, and obviously nobody did if it took two years to hit Slashdot.