When companies get more extreme with attempts to increase ad revenue, it leads me to believe they're getting squeezed for profits and this is a last ditch effort. Similar to how this "extreme chocolate chunk" cookie has 1 chocolate chunk, not extreme https://www.reddit.com/r/shrinkflation/comments/17sudbp/extr... .

And when companies all over are doing it at the same time feels like a "recession" or whatever is looming.

> What was wrong with the old mail program?

Depends on who you ask. I guess "there were no ads on it" is an applicable answer from MS point of view.