Microsoft wants to wipe Slate

The magazine was founded more than eight years ago as the software giant was trying to build up its cyber hip street cred.

Apparently the leading contenders for the sale are the New York Times and the er writers of the article, the Washington Post.

Vole plans to keep marketing the cyber-mag online but wants another partner to come up with the content. The article says that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is "a huge fan and supporter of Slate" and is following the negotiations.

We wonder if the sale is anything to do with this article which calls for users to dump the "stuck in the mud" IE and Outlook and advises users to switch to Firefox. It has also run headline greats including "Is Microsoft Evil?"

What was interesting was that the hacks at the Washington Post could not get a straight quote out of their own company on the sale. In fact its own Caroline Little, chief executive and publisher of Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, did not respond to an internal telephone message from the editorial deparment. µ

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