ZDNet reports that in “recent versions” of Internet Explorer (I’m assuming they mean IE6 here), if a user types in a domain name which can’t be found, the browser redirects to MSN Search.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. Personally, I want to see an error page, not some stupid MSN Search page, especially if the address window now contains an MSN Search URL (it is unclear from the ZDNET article if this is the case.
If I accidentally type Slashdot.CoN and get an error, I just go back there and type an M over an N. Microsoft is not exactly helping me if they redirect me to an MSN Search URL and I have to type the URL all over again.
Think about it — if I mistyped it the first time, what are my odds of failing the second time if I have to type it over from the beginning? This is especially true for very long URLs. I rarely mistype Slashdot.Org, but often mistype SteveJacksonGames.Com.