Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 nears release, is astroturfed

Quite a few postings on internet tech sites tell us that the new MS browser, IE 8, is nearing release.  The Register tells us that the marketing strategy seems to involve MS employees being asked to send out enthusiastic emails to to 10 friends each, in a sort of chain letter style.

This isn't of much direct impact to me as a Linux user, but I am amused by its reported dual function mode: the default mode being adherence to web standards, and a "compatibility mode" that will work with all those websites that were built for use with earlier non-standards-adhering versions of IE.  So, I suppose that's progress of sorts. 

What's a bit more interesting is whether the suggested sites feature is still there, and if so, hopefullyoptional with a clear explanation of what it's doing with the user's browsing history.