Does anyone seriously think, asks one professor, that a researcher would compromise his integrity for $200? This is a question that is being asked in educational establishments in the US after a bout of publicity over a Microsoft marketing initiative. As part of a special offer for academics, Microsoft is offering $200 to computer science professors who mention Microsoft products in certain presentations. Microsoft defends the initiative, saying it is to help with expenses of those academics making presentations that may relate to Microsoft’s products, but others have criticized the whole scheme as bribery. The initiative seems incredibly insensitive, given the current lawsuit investigating Microsoft’s practices but Microsoft officials point out it has been running largely unnoticed for two or three years.
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